A4 Simple Dreams and Flying Machines
by KennaC
Summary: Sequel to Mad Season: Nancy and Murdock are both stretched pretty thin, and things aren't about to improve when Nancy brings home a couple of stray . . . kids, that is. What could make things any more hectic?
1. Part 1

**_Simple Dreams and Flying Machines_**

Nancy and Murdock are both stretched pretty thin, and things aren't about to improve when Nancy brings home a couple of stray . . . kids, that is. What could make things any more hectic? Let's throw in a couple bad guys for good measure and see what shakes out. Sequel to _Flying into a Mad Season: Who's Psychotic Now?_ – kind of need to read that and _A Lifetime Supply of Cabbage Rolls_ to fully understand this one. Be warned up front – it's a long one – hopefully worth the read.

Warnings: Adult language, sex, violence – nothing extreme, but it's there.

Many thanks as always to the wonderful artists whose lyrics are featured in this story (please note that the music is anachronistic and is not an indication of time frame for the story):

R. Thomas (Matchbox20) – _You're So Real_

J. Sill – _Enchanted Flying Machines_

J. Lodge (Moody Blues) – _Isn't Life Strange_

R. Thomas (Matchbox20) – _Push_

A. Myles – _Living on Memory_

B. Hornsby – _Fields of Gray_

I do not own the A-Team or associated characters and I make no money from this – it's all for fun! Nancy Clay Murdock and her personal associates (besides, of course, Hunt Stockwell) are all mine for good or bad. Enjoy (hopefully) and review (PLEASE)!

Enter – Bad Guy

A dark-haired man about 5'5", with a defiant attitude apparent in every move, walked into the bar of an Italian restaurant in downtown Washington DC, nodding greeting to several patrons as he headed to the back room. He ducked through the door, walked past the group of men playing poker and approached the man sitting at a table in the shadows of an alcove at the rear of the room.

"How'd the recovery go, Cuttey?" the man in the shadows asked.

"No problems, Mr. Smith," Cuttey said - he set a brown paper bag on the table, "Here's the money."

A large non-descript thug reached down and took the bag, quickly counting the wad of bills, "It's all here, sir."

Mr. Smith blew a long stream of smoke and knocked the ashes off his cigarette, "You've been doin' good work for me, Cuttey, don't think I don't notice. And never let it be said that I don't reward those who do good by me."

He took another drag on his cigarette, before continuing, "I got a job that's come up that could use your special, uh, talents. Frank here'll give you the details."

Mr. Smith leaned forward into the light, the jagged scar across his jaw standing out starkly white against his olive skin, "Consider this a test, and if you pass, well, I think I got a permanent place in my organization for a man like you," he smiled at Cuttey and winked, then leaned back, obviously done with the conversation.

Frank rose from the seat next to Mr. Smith, stepped around the table and motioned for Cuttey to follow. They walked through a door, past a set of guards, down a hallway and to a locked office. Frank opened the door and walked to a locked file cabinet. He unlocked it, located the file he wanted, relocked the cabinet and turned to the desk.

Frank opened the file folder on the desk, slowly flipping through the pages in the folder as Cuttey joined him, "This is William Ledley, Mr. Smith's old partner. He's been getting friendly with the local vice cops, if you know what I mean. This file will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the guy, from where he lives to what he likes to eat and when," Frank turned the last page in the file, closed the folder and handed it to Cuttey, "Memorize the contents - the file doesn't leave this office. Mr. Smith wants you to convince Ledley to shut his hole, permanently. Don't want him dead, just scared shitless. And don't leave any evidence."

Cuttey took the file and rounded the desk, sitting down and reopening it to begin reading. He glanced up as Frank turned to leave, "I'll need some operating cash. Tell Mr. Smith I'll make it worth his while – Ledley will give up talking permanently when I'm through with him."

Frank looked at Cuttey distastefully, "Yea, well, that's what Mr. Smith is counting on. Stop by the table when you leave and I'll bank-roll you." He hurried from the room - he'd broken some knee caps in his time, but from what Smith had been able to dig up about Cuttey, that was freshman crap. Cuttey had forgotten more about torture then Frank had ever known. Not a guy to get on the bad side of. But then, that was exactly what Mr. Smith was looking for.

Diving Into the Deep End

Captain HM Murdock rolled over and hit the snooze, looking at the alarm clock with a grimace - 4 am. He wasn't wild about these early mornings anymore, but at least it was only one week out of four. This was his second time on in the past six weeks, and it would continue for another nine weeks, until the initial training phase for the new team was complete.

He rolled over and looked appraisingly at his sleeping wife. She hadn't even stirred when the alarm had gone off. But then, he wasn't too sure when she'd come to bed the night before. He brushed the mop of auburn hair out of her face, and sighed. In this light he couldn't see them, but he knew the shadows were there under her eyes. She was working way too much, especially for a woman in her sixth month of pregnancy. Unfortunately, he knew there was nothing he could do about it – she had a stubborn streak a mile wide.

He brushed his lips across her forehead before swinging his legs out of bed and heading for the shower. He was due at the compound at 4:30am to get the recruits up and moving for their morning work out, and if he didn't get moving he was going to be late. He walked around the bed to the dresser, glancing at Nancy's alarm clock, which was set, probably far too early. After a moment's hesitation, he reached down and turned it off - maybe she'd think she forgot to set it. He shook his head and chuckled quietly to himself as he headed downstairs. Probably wishful thinking, knowing his wife, but he was willing to suffer a little bit of her anger if it meant she'd get some much-needed rest.

After a quick shower and cup of coffee he was on his way. The recruits were already up and ready to go when he arrived at the compound. There were eight of them altogether going through the team training. Hannibal had decided to allow the chemistry of the group to make the final decision on who would stay and who wouldn't. They ranged in age from 21 to 28, and were all doing well in the training so far, though they were still in basics.

They greeted Murdock quietly and waited for him to start them off. He directed Larry, the youngest recruit, to lead the way, and took up the rear of the line. Over the past six weeks the course was becoming very familiar to them, and Murdock smiled as he watched them move through it with practiced ease. As the last recruit passed out of sight, he realized he was falling behind and picked up his own pace to catch up.

When they arrived back to the house an hour later, Hannibal was standing on the back deck, his ever-present cigar glowing orange in the morning twilight. The recruits came to a stop in a line along the deck, doing cool-down exercises.

Murdock jogged up the steps and stopped by Hannibal, "Morning exercises are complete, Colonel," he said formally, then grinned, "I think three weeks between workouts is too long, Hannibal – I'm havin' trouble keeping up!"

Hannibal grinned, "You're just getting old, Captain."

"Thanks a lot, Hannibal," Murdock said disconsolately.

Hannibal smile around his cigar, then took it out of his mouth, indicating the recruits, "We're all getting older, Murdock, that's what they're doin' here – remember?" he said chuckling. Turning more serious, he asked, "What have you got going today?"

Murdock leaned on the railing, "I've got to meet the contractor doing the hangar repairs at the airfield at 10," he said thoughtfully, then grinned, "Then Steve's comin' over to give me my instructor's lesson at two."

Hannibal shook his head, "Too weird to think of _you_ getting lessons in flying . . . How long will it take you to get you're instructor's license?"

Murdock shrugged, "Not long - 'course I'm not sure anyone'll want lessons from a crazy ex-army pilot."

Hannibal smiled, "I bet you'll find there are plenty of folks out there who want lessons . . . especially from a crazy ex-army pilot!"

"Colonel? Captain?" came a tentative voice from below. Both men turned to look at Larry, who was still assigned 'leader' for the morning exercises, "We've finished cool-down. What next?"

Hannibal nodded towards the house, "Assemble inside and begin reviewing the training tapes from yesterday."

Larry turned and relayed the order, directing the group inside and getting them started on the review.

Hannibal watched appraisingly, then turned back to Murdock, "Well, any observations?"

Murdock shrugged, "Well, they sure seem to have the basics down . . . 'bout time to move on, before boredom sets in," he grinned, "Oh, and a comment - you're never gonna weed that crew down to four."

Hannibal grimaced, gazing out over the obstacle course thoughtfully, "Nan said the same thing, and I'm afraid you're both right. Guess I'll have to take your wife's advice, again, and split 'em into two teams and keep 'em all on. We do need to start exploring specialties in earnest sometime in the next couple weeks – I agree they've got the basics down and it's time to start the individual training. Of course, that's going to require more of all our time," he turned and looked at Murdock, "By the way, thanks for taking care of things the last few days – I've managed to get a lot of the ground work laid for the individual team training. I think the outside instructors will help broaden their knowledge, and take some of the burden off us for training."

Murdock nodded, "This individual training phase has me a little concerned, Hannibal," he said quietly, "I'm not sure how to keep all the balls in the air, if you know what I mean."

Hannibal nodded, "I know, you have kind of over-extended yourself with the airfield," his expression was stern, "But like I said before, I need you for this phase of the training – you'll have to let Doc handle things at the airfield for awhile."

Murdock glanced away uncertainly, "Yea, guess so," he mumbled.

Hannibal let the issue drop for the time being, "Listen, I can take things from here, but I was hoping you'd be around for our weekly meeting with Nancy this morning at 8 - we're supposed to go over progress, talk about the next round of recruits for basics, and the next step after training completion."

Murdock sighed, looking guilty and Hannibal narrowed his eyes, "What's up, Captain?"

"Well," he said repentantly, "I wouldn't count on Nan at 8 - I kinda turned off her alarm."

"You're a brave man, Captain," Hannibal said with a slight smile, "Did she work late again last night?"

"She works late every night, including weekends, anymore," Murdock said irritably, "I didn't even hear her come to bed," his expression was serious as he looked at his commanding officer, "I'm worried about her, Hannibal, she's pushin' way too hard. I could strangle the General for putting her in this position . . ."

Hannibal looked at Murdock ruefully; Nancy wasn't the only one that was over-extended, though he had to admit that her position right now was probably more critical then Murdock's, "I hate to say it, Murdock, but you _are_ the one that made the original recommendation . . ."

Murdock crossed his arms, his expression black, "Don't remind me!"

Nancy yawned and rolled over, finally focusing on the alarm clock as the sleep fog cleared from her head. She sat up suddenly as the time registered, 'Shit, it's after 10!'

She reached over and picked up the clock looking at the alarm button - which was in the off position. She glanced over at her husband's side of the bed, suspicion turning to certainty. She set the alarm down and stood up, stretching.

She picked up the telephone next to the bed, and dialed Murdock's cell phone. He answered on the first ring, "Murdock, what can ya do me for?"

"Captain, did you turn off my alarm this morning?" she asked flatly.

There was a pause, before Murdock replied in a perfect Bogey impression, "You can't prove nothin' swee'heart - you got no witnesses."

Nancy sighed, quickly shaking off her initial irritation. She never could stay angry at him, "I trust you told Hannibal I wasn't going to make the meeting this morning."

"Don't worry. Hannibal said it was no problem, that we could reschedule for tomorrow," Murdock said, then added, "How ya feelin', Short Cake?"

Nancy smiled at the concern in his voice, "I feel pretty good - guess the extra sleep helped," she admitted grudgingly.

Murdock decided to push the advantage, "Why don't you stay home today and take it easy. I'll try and get out of here early and come chase you this afternoon."

"I can't," Nancy said, "I promised Riley I'd be in at 10, and I'm already late."

"Riley will live," Murdock pressed, "you need some rest."

"Don't worry, I won't work too hard," she said calmly, then glanced at the clock again, "I should get moving. I'll see you tonight?"

"I'll see you _this afternoon_," he said pointedly, "and _try_ to take it easy today, huh Short Cake?"

"I will," Nancy promised, "I love you, HM."

"Love you, three," he replied, "See ya this afternoon - the earlier the better."

Nancy smiled, "'til then - bye."

She got a quick shower, and decided not to take time for breakfast, walking into Adam's investigations a little before 11. As she entered the office, she heard Les Jenkins' voice coming from Riley's office. Les had started with Adam's Investigations just a couple months ago, but had quickly become a trusted and valuable employee. Nothing ever seemed to rattle her, but at the moment she was sounding desperate, "C'mon, Riley, you gotta cover the surveillance for me - this lead will go cold if I don't jump on it now, and I can't be two places at once. Contrary to popular opinion."

"I'm sorry, Les, but I've got interviews scheduled all afternoon, and our only backup today is sick with the flu."

"Bull shit," Les said vehemently, "You should give Tad the boot - the guy's not sick, he's just lazy."

Nancy heard Riley sigh heavily, and stuck her head in the office, "Dissension among the troops?" she asked lightly.

Riley looked up and glared at her, "And where the hell have you been?" he asked irritably, "You were supposed to be here an hour ago. I guess Stockwell Enterprises has taken the front seat again where you're concerned."

Nancy gritted her teeth, feeling a surge of unreasonable anger, followed by a rush of guilt. Unfortunately, neither feeling was uncommon lately.

"I'm sorry Riley," she finally said, sincerely, "HM turned off my alarm this morning and I didn't wake up until after 10. I got here as soon as I could."

Riley's expression softened, "I didn't mean it, kid - we're just stretched way too thin right now . . ."

"What's the problem?" Nancy asked, glancing at Les and smiling in greeting.

Les sighed, "Tad called in sick, _again_," she said irritably, "He was supposed to relieve Andy on the Cooper surveillance today, so I could follow up on some things with the Simmon's missing persons case."

Nancy sighed, "Go on and take care of the Simmon's follow-up, Les," she said leaning on the edge of Riley's desk, and reaching for the phone, "It's more critical then the surveillance – I'll see if Andy can hang on for a little bit longer."

"Cooper usually hibernates in that damn juice bar from 11 'til 5 anyway," Les said, "If it has to go for awhile, we probably won't miss anything . . ."

"That may be the case," Riley said, "but this surveil is for Peaspenen, Croft and Croft. They're a good customer, I really don't want to let it slide."

Nancy put in a quick call to Andy Garner's cell phone. Andy said he would hang on until noon, but couldn't stay any later, he had to get home to the kids so his wife could head into work.

"Go on, Les," Nancy said, hanging up the phone, but still holding the hand set, "I'll make sure the surveillance is covered."

Les nodded, and headed out the door as Nancy picked up the phone, again. She had enough ammunition in Tad Leanard's personnel file to give him the boot, but they needed the help right now - even if it was just a warm body. She'd tried coaching, cajoling, and threatening, but nothing seemed to work with the guy. When he applied himself he was a decent PI, and he was no dummy, but he was exceedingly lazy.

She dialed Tad's number and got the answering machine, "Tad, pick up," she waited a few seconds, then continued, "Listen, Tad, I've had it, you better get in to work today or come back with a doctor's excuse that says you were dying. Otherwise, don't bother coming back in," she hung up in disgust.

Nancy sighed, "Riley, you'll have to take the interviews," she chuckled humorously, "hopefully you can find at least two reliable investigators in the bunch. I'll head out and take care of the surveillance."

Riley looked at Nancy uncertainly, "Why don't you handle the interviews and I'll take the surveillance?" he suggested.

Nancy sighed, standing up, "You've done all the leg work on this round of candidates, Riley. I haven't even had time to look at the resumes," she said quietly, that guilty feeling rising again, "I can handle the surveillance."

Riley looked at her stubbornly, "I'd feel better if I was doing the surveillance - you really shouldn't be in the field in your condition."

"There's more work involved in doing the interviews than in the surveillance," Nancy said matter-of-factly, "All I've gotta do is sit on my butt in the car - I think I can handle that, even _in my_ condition."

Riley looked at her through narrowed eyes, but finally capitulated, "OK, but as soon as Tad gets in here, I'm sending him out to relieve you."

Murdock sat back from the desk and rubbed a hand across his eyes. The numbers on the balance sheet were starting to run together, signaling that it was past time for a break. He stood and stretched, then walked over and looked out the window into the hangar. He could see the contractor still taking notes for completing his estimate to repair the hangar door, and roof. He'd also given him plans and asked him to provide an estimate for adding another hangar bay.

Doc waved at him from the other side of the window, motioning for him to come out. Murdock opened the door and leaned out, holding an invisible carrot and quipped, "What's up, Doc?"

Doc just shook his head, chuckling and said, "You know you're the only person that can make that work, HM!"

Murdock stepped out of the office, and filled his partner in on what the contractor would be quoting. Doc listened solemnly, "Do you really think we'll be able to swing an addition with all the hangar work that's needed?"

Murdock shrugged, "I doubt it," he said flatly, "But it'll give us a budget number to at least begin planning."

Doc nodded, then grinned, "Well, I didn't really stop by to talk business," he said, "I came to tell you that I would be out of town for a few weeks. I got tickets for one of them cruises to Alaska. Always dreamed of goin' up there, and I figgered since I had a partner who could handle things here, I'd go ahead and do it!"

Murdock smiled, "That's terrific, Doc," he said enthusiastically, then the import of what Doc was saying hit him, and he looked at Doc uncertainly, "When do you leave?"

"Well, that's just it . . ." Doc said, looking at Murdock apologetically, "I booked it through one of those discount services, where you take what you can get, and I, uh, well . . . I gotta leave tomorrow evening to catch a red-eye outta Philly."

"T-tomorrow?" Murdock repeated disbelievingly, "and how long will you be gone?"

Doc looked at Murdock ruefully, "6 weeks."

Murdock looked slightly panicked, "That's more than a few weeks, Doc!"

Doc shrugged, then clapped him on the shoulder, "But that's why I got myself a partner, right?" he asked with a big grin, "I have every confidence that you can hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Murdock sighed, he could feel those balls he was juggling starting to hit him on the head – and they felt like bowling balls.

The Straws Pile Up

Nancy sat in her bug watching the back alley and the front door of a juice bar in a seedy Washington DC neighborhood. As expected, Cooper had headed here just after Nancy had taken over surveillance from Andy, and hadn't moved since. Boring as it was, she found she was actually enjoying being in the field for a change.

With her Uncle's illness and the new partnership in Stockwell Enterprises, she was spending most of every day on administrative activities for either Adam's Investigations or Stockwell Enterprises, and it was becoming very tedious. It was nice to take a break from the reigns and just work.

She glanced at the clock, noting that it was approaching 2 pm. Her stomach was reminding her that she'd skipped breakfast, and she was starting to feel funky. There was a sub shop on the corner, and she decided to duck in and grab some lunch, the mark probably wouldn't be out of the bar for another couple hours anyway, given his habits. 15 minutes later she came walking out of the shop, her sandwich in a bag swinging from her wrist as she headed back towards her car, pulling her keys from her pocket.

She had almost reached the car when a non-descript kid in baggy pants and oversize t-shirt walked up behind her. Without breaking stride, the kid, grabbed the bag with her lunch, breaking it off her wrist, and took off down the street at a flat-out run. Nancy cursed and followed. At 6 months pregnant she certainly wasn't going to win any races, but she managed to keep the kid in sight and saw the figure disappear between two buildings, a few blocks ahead.

Nancy hurried to the spot she'd seen the kid turn, and found that it was a dead-end alley. She entered the alley cautiously. It was littered with old boxes and crates, with a couple dumpsters near the center. She moved slowly around the dumpsters, thinking that the kid must be pretty desperate to steal a sandwich. She could hear a girl's voice, speaking quietly.

"Look, Jack, I got lunch," the voice sounded hopelessly cheerful, "This will make you feel better - you just need to sit up and eat, everything will be alright."

The sight that met Nancy's eyes as she rounded the dumpster made her cringe. A makeshift shelter of boxes and trash bags had been set up and bundled in dirty blankets within the shelter was a small child - the Jack to whom the girl was talking. The boy's cheeks were flushed and his eyes were glassy, his breath rattling in his chest. Nancy cleared her throat quietly, hoping not to spook the girl, who couldn't have been more than 10 or 12.

The girl jumped up and pulled a little switch blade out. Pointing it menacingly towards Nancy she said in a high-pitched voice, "Stay back, lady, I ain't afraid to use this!"

If the scene hadn't been so pitiful, Nancy would have laughed. She stood silently, considering the situation, which apparently made the girl nervous. She waved the blade at Nancy and practically screamed, "Go away! All I took was a stupid old sandwich! Get away and leave us alone!"

Nancy looked at the girl with a very serious expression and said calmly, "You can have the sandwich," she motioned to the little boy, "but Jack doesn't look too good . . . I'd like to help . . . if you'll let me."

The girl glanced at the little boy, then looked at Nancy uncertainly. Nancy could see the war going on in her wide brown eyes as she considered her options. She didn't want to trust anyone, but she knew that the little boy needed help. She seemed to come to a decision, and motioned to Jack with the knife, "You can take a look, but don't try nothin' funny or I'll cut ya - I'm not afraid to use this."

Nancy nodded gravely, and knelt down next to the boy, taking a tiny hand in hers, and then feeling his face, which was hot and dry. As she examined Jack she spoke to the girl, "What's your name?"

"Callie," the girl said curtly.

"And how old are you, Callie?" Nancy asked.

"Almost 13," she said, adding threateningly, "But I can take care of myself - and anybody else tries to make trouble for me and Jack!"

"I'm sure you can, Callie," Nancy said soothingly, "Can you tell me how old Jack is?"

"He's 5 and a half," Callie said, "he just small for his age."

"You two live out here all on your own?"

"We can take care of ourselves," Callie said defiantly, "We don't need no grownups messin' with us."

Nancy sat back on her heels, looking directly at the girl, "Callie, Jack is a very sick little boy. He really needs to see a doctor. How long has he been like this?"

Callie looked at Jack, the worry she felt showing plainly on her face, "Since yesterday morning," she said quietly and continued miserably, "I tried . . . tried to . . .," she clenched her jaw, blinking back tears angrily, the hand holding the knife trembling as she continued in a rush, "We went to the hospital day afore yesterday. The nurse took him into a room, and then I heard 'em callin' the cops . . . they woulda split us up - that's what they do. I couldn't let that happen . . ." her voice trailed off in a choked sob, she looked down at the little boy miserably, "Please say he's gonna be alright," she whispered pleadingly, her look self-recriminating, "I'm s'posed to take care of him . . . he's my responsibility . . ."

Nancy looked at the girl sympathetically, "Callie, I need you to trust me," she said gently, holding out her hand, "Just put the knife down, and let me help."

Callie lowered the knife slightly, brushing angrily at the tears on her face with the other hand as she considered Nancy through narrowed eyes, "Go ahead, I'm lis'nin'."

Nancy folded her hands in her lap, and nodded, "If we don't get Jack to a doctor, I think that he's gonna get worse, and I know you don't want that. I'll take you to the hospital and stay with you, and I promise, I'll do everything I can to make sure that they don't split you and your brother up, OK?"

Callie looked at Jack, her expression uncertain, "What do you think, Jackie?" she asked quietly. When Jack didn't respond, she turned to Nancy, resignedly, "I don' know what else to do . . ." she said miserably. She closed the knife, "OK, we'll do this your way."

Seeing acceptance, Nancy quickly bundled the little boy into the dirty blankets and lifted him, marveling at how light he was. She hurried down the alley and to her car, with Callie trailing closely behind.

At the car, she had Callie sit in the back, and laid Jack down next to her, discarding the soiled blankets and grabbing her emergency blanket out of the trunk to bundle him in. She pulled away from the curb, the surveillance forgotten, and headed for the nearest hospital.

Murdock was pacing in the hangar when Steve showed up to give him his instructor's lesson.

"Hey, Murdock," Steve said jovially, "Ready to teach me somethin'?"

Murdock glanced at the pilot instructor, and smiled, "Actually, I was wondering if maybe we could skip the lesson today, and talk business . . ."

Steve looked at him quizzically, "You mean besides you paying me to teach me what you already know?"

Murdock put an arm around Steve's shoulders, steering him towards the office, "Well, you see, I have a little problem that I think you can help me with . . . I know you're kinda busy with your folk's store, but wouldn't you just love to spend some more quality time here at the airfield . . . you know, looking after things?"

Steve looked at Murdock in surprise as he shut the office door, "Is somethin' wrong with Doc?"

Murdock dropped into the chair behind the desk and motioned to Steve to sit down, "No. He's just going on vacation . . . an extended vacation. And I'm gonna need some help around here for the day to day stuff. You were the first . . . well, to tell the truth, the only person I could think of on such short notice. He leaves tomorrow."

Steve was nodding in understanding, but his look wasn't encouraging, "You know how much grief Dad gives me even over these lessons Murdock . . .," he said uncertainly. Steve's Mother and Father owned the grocery store in a nearby village, and Steve's father had been pushing Steve to start taking over the family business. Steve was less than enthusiastic about the grocery business, but he didn't want to disappoint his Dad.

Murdock rubbed his hands over his face and sighed, "I know, Steve," he said resignedly, "I was just hoping that maybe his attitude had changed. You said you hired a couple good clerks that were handling things at the store while you were away, I was hoping maybe we could just rearrange your schedule some so you could cover things here for me in the mornings, maybe a couple hours in the evening . . . it's only for while Doc's gone . . ."

Steve looked at Murdock thoughtfully, "I'd really like to help out, Murdock," he said, "I just don't think Dad's gonna be happy about it."

Murdock nodded, "That's OK . . . I'll just have to find someone else . . . You wouldn't happen to have any suggestions?" he asked hopefully.

Steve sighed, "I don't suppose Gerry is an option?" he said, glancing suggestively over his shoulder towards the hangar.

Gerry Smith was the mechanic that they had hired about a month ago, and seemed to be working out . . . as a mechanic. Murdock scheduled his work for him, and ordered all the parts that he needed. All Gerry did was fix things.

Murdock shook his head, "Gerry is great at what he does, but I doubt that he's the least bit interested in running the desk," not to mention, not really capable, he thought ruefully.

Steve nodded and the two men sat there quietly for several minutes. Finally Steve stood up, "You know what, Murdock, I'd really like to work here at the airfield . . . let me go talk to Dad. I'll let you know tomorrow what I'm able to swing."

At the hospital registration desk, Nancy didn't mince any words, "This child needs to see a doctor, _now_."

The nurse at the desk was a petite young woman, who looked up with an air of unconcern, "So does everybody else here, sign in and take a seat - we'll call your name when it's your turn."

Nancy felt a surge of anger, but took a deep breath, knowing that lately her fuse had been pretty short. She spoke evenly, "I would really appreciate it if a doctor took a look at him right away – I'm afraid his condition is quite serious and has been for at least 24 hours."

The nurse looked at Nancy impatiently, "If he's been sick for so long, why didn't you bring him in sooner?"

Nancy snapped, "Listen, I'm in no mood to debate what should have been done - I want to see a doctor, _now_!"

"Ma'am, you . . ." the nurse had stood and was beginning to reply when the emergency room doctor came out, "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked amiably.

Nancy turned to the man, "This child has a fever and he isn't sweating. He's unresponsive, and he's been this way since yesterday morning."

The doctor did a cursory examination, feeling Jack's forehead and flashing a light in his eyes, "Bring him right in here," he directed, and Nancy and Callie followed him into a nearby examination room.

The doctor motioned to the bed, "I'm Dr. Lyons. Just lay him down there," looking around the curtain, he called out in the hall way, "I need to get an IV started, stat, bring some glucose and . . ." he turned to Nancy, "Is he allergic to any medications?"

Nancy put a hand on Callie's shoulder. The girl was standing stock still and looked absolutely terrified, "Callie, are there any medications that Jack can't take? Like have you ever heard that he's allergic to certain antibiotics, like penicillin?"

Callie looked up at her and swallowed convulsively, "I, uh, I don' think so," she said quietly.

Nancy glanced at the doctor, who nodded, "Bring glucose and penicillin."

Less than a minute later, there were two nurses in the room, and they and the doctor were working on hooking Jack up to an IV and monitors. One of the nurses turned to Nancy, firing questions at her and noting the answers, most of which consisted of "Not that I know."

Finally the nurse sighed heavily, looking at Nancy in disgust, "Well is there anything you can tell us about his medical history?" she asked curtly.

Nancy glanced down at Callie, who shrugged miserably. Nancy looked back at the nurse, and shook her head, "I'm afraid not."

"Well, then, it would really be best if you went and sat down in the waiting room, we'll come get you once we get him stabilized."

This seemed to galvanize Callie to action, "No," she said vehemently, "I'm not leaving Jack."

The nurse glared at Nancy, "Ma'am, I'm really going to have to ask you and your daughter to wait in the waiting room . . ."

"She's not our mother!" Callie practically screamed at the nurse and pushed through to stand next to Jack, holding his hand in a death grip.

The nurse looked more than a little surprised, "I'm sorry, miss, I thought . . ."

"I know what you thought," Nancy said briskly. Turning to Callie, she said gently, "Callie, why don't we go sit in the waiting room - they won't take Jack anywhere without coming and getting us, right Dr. Lyons?" she looked to the doctor hopefully for support.

The doctor glanced up, and smiled consolingly at Callie, "No way," he promised sincerely, "Jack won't go anywhere without you knowing about it."

Callie looked at the doctor shyly, then looked at the nurse distrustfully. Finally, her eyes met Nancy's and Nancy knelt next to her looking at her seriously, "They're doing everything they can to help Jack, and we need to get out of the way and let them do it, Callie," she said matter-of-factly.

Callie reluctantly let Jack's hand go and allowed Nancy to lead her to the waiting room. Before the curtain fell shut, she looked back at Jack one more time, looking more than a little fearful.

She settled in the chair by Nancy, her gaze never leaving the curtain covering the examining room where Jack was.

Nancy looked at her sympathetically, "I know you're worried, Callie, but right now you just have to trust that Dr. Lyons will take care of Jack. There's really nothing you can do to help except to stay out of the way."

Callie nodded miserably, "I know, but I don't like being away from Jack – he needs me."

Nancy nodded thoughtfully, "I'm sure that's true, but I'm also sure he knows you're not far away. We'll get to see him again soon."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, with Callie fidgeting nervously. Nancy's stomach was reminding her once again that she hadn't eaten all day. Glancing down the hall towards the cafeteria, she decided that food would do nicely as a distraction for both of them.

"Why don't we go get a bite to eat? It'll probably be a little while before they can tell us anymore about Jack," Nancy said, then smiled, adding, "besides, we left the sandwich back in the alley, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry."

A ghost of a smile touched Callie's lips and she nodded, "I'm real sorry about your sandwich."

Nancy stood and indicated the way to the cafeteria, "It was just a stupid old sandwich anyway," she said. Callie hesitated a moment, then stood and she and Nancy walked side by side to the cafeteria.

Descent of Mother Hen

Tad Leanard walked around the outside of the juice bar one more time, searching for any sign of Nancy Murdock. He had checked inside and the surveillance mark was still there - no big surprise given that he spent most of his free time and most of his paycheck, in this particular juice bar.

It certainly wasn't that he really wanted to find Nancy. Her message on the machine had been the only reason he'd bothered to go into work today at all – he's much rather be sleeping off the hangover he was suffering from. He needed this job, and he had no doubt that she would sack him in a heart beat.

He sighed as he sat down in his car and considered his findings. The mark was in place and Nancy was nowhere to be found. Something was definitely up and he picked up his cell phone, dialing Adams Investigations with a sense of foreboding.

Stephanie answered the phone on the first ring, "Adam's Investigations, Stephanie speaking, how may I help you?"

"Steph, I need to talk to Riley," Tad said without preamble.

"What's wrong, Tad, Nancy rip you a new one and you wanna whine to the big guy?" Stephanie asked tartly.

"I can't find Nancy, Steph," Tad said flatly, "Get Riley on the phone."

Riley came on the line a minute later, "What do you mean you can't find Nancy?" he asked disbelievingly, "is Cooper still at the juice bar? Maybe Nan followed him . . ."

"I'm not stupid, Riley," Tad said derisively, "Cooper's still here, and Nancy's nowhere to be found."

"Sit tight and handle the surveillance," Riley said, then punched the hang up, quickly dialing Nancy's cell phone - but there was no answer.

"Shit, damn and hell," Riley said vehemently, slamming the phone down, "That woman can find trouble anywhere!"

He turned to Stephanie, "Cancel the rest of my appointments this afternoon," he started out the door, then hesitated with a quiet 'fuck', and turned back, "And call Murdock . . . tell him his wife is AWOL. I'm gonna need some help finding her. Tell him to meet me at the juice bar."

Cuttey had just finished a whirlwind tour of Ledley's neighborhood. It was a little too upscale, with the houses too close together, to permit him to do his work in Ledley's house. There were way too many conscientious, good citizen ears around. He needed a place where either no one would hear the screams, or no one would care if they did.

He sat back and considered his options. There was that old warehouse in the river district that his buddy owned – it was convenient and he doubted there would be anyone around there that would care if they heard him working. However, that was the same buddy that had hooked him up with Mr. Smith, and it was probably better to avoid any chance for a connection to be made to his customer. Then he remembered the hunting cabin that he had used last deer season. Secluded, not too far away, it was perfect. Now, how to get Ledley there – that would require a little more thought, and he always thought better on a full stomach.

Murdock pulled up at the juice bar in his truck, jumping out and heading toward Riley's parked car, his agitation apparent.

Riley saw him coming and braced himself as Murdock stormed up, "What the hell was she doing in the field, Riley?" he practically exploded.

"It was a simple surveillance," Riley said soothingly, "Nan's probably fine . . . she was in the sub shop about half hour, 45 minutes ago and bought a sub, and the bum across the street remembers her driving away from the curb just a little while after that."

"Was anyone in the car with her?" Murdock asked curtly, his concern evident.

Riley's lips formed a thin line, "Not that the guy noticed, but I wouldn't say he was the most reliable witness . . ." he put a hand on Murdock's shoulder, "we just need to find her, the guy was certain she took off north, so we'll start canvassing in that direction."

As Riley was talking a black van pulled up, followed by a red 'vette. Hannibal stepped out of the passenger side of the van, and walked towards Riley and Murdock, followed closely by BA and Face.

"Status?"

"Nancy was seen leaving here, headed north, 30 to 45 minutes ago, in her car," Murdock said succinctly.

Hannibal immediately took charge, "Can't have gone too far. Let's quadrant off a 10 block area to the north, and split it up - that'll put us meeting back up at 21st and Cain. BA and I'll take the northeast quad, Face take northwest, Murdock - southeast, Riley - southwest. If you find any sign, call my cell. Let's go."

Fifteen minutes later, Face called Hannibal, "I've got Nan's car at the Hospital Emergency Room, Hannibal," he said worriedly.

"We'll meet you there," Hannibal said, then quickly relayed the message to the others.

When Murdock, Hannibal, BA, and Riley arrived at the Emergency Room a few minutes later, Face was trying to determine if Nancy had been admitted, "She's a pregnant woman, reddish-brown hair, about 5'3" with blue eyes."

"Listen," the nurse said patiently, smiling at Face flirtatiously, "I told you, the only pregnant lady to come in here today came in with a couple kids, and _she_ wasn't admitted."

Face turned as Murdock came up behind him, "It doesn't sound like anybody's seen Nan," he said uncertainly.

Murdock pulled his wallet out, holding a picture out to the nurse, "We're looking for this woman, have you seen her?"

The nurse looked at the picture, and nodded, "Yeah, that's her," she said certainly, "I think she took the girl and went to the cafeteria."

Murdock smiled in relief, "Thank you, thank you very much," he turned then looked back, "which way to the cafeteria?"

The nurse provided brief directions, and soon a small procession was headed purposely towards the cafeteria.

Lost and Found

Nancy followed Callie through the food line, encouraging her to take whatever she wanted. While Nancy paid, Callie found a vacant table and sat down. She began inhaling her food immediately, not even glancing up when Nancy joined her at the table. Nancy watched as Callie ate, thinking it had probably been a while since the girl had a good meal. As she watched Callie devour her food, her thoughts wandered, how long had these two children been living on the street on their own?

Callie finished her food, and Nancy's steady, if unfocused gaze began to make her uncomfortable. She looked at Nancy defiantly, "Don't be thinking that I owe you nothin' for the food," she said, "it's not like I asked for it or anything."

Nancy lowered her eyes, then looked at Callie directly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare, and you certainly don't owe me anything for the meal," she said quietly, "I was just wondering how long it had been since you'd eaten."

Callie avoided Nancy's gaze, shrugging noncommittally. Nancy caught her eyes straying towards the dessert display, and without a word, went over and picked out two large pieces of chocolate cake and paid for them. She walked back to the table, setting one piece in front of Callie, and sitting down with the other piece.

Callie looked at the cake uncertainly, glancing at Nancy distrustfully. But she finally picked up her fork and dug in, not saying a word until the plate was clean. Then she set her fork aside and looked at Nancy through narrowed eyes.

After a few seconds she sat back and crossed her arms, "So, are you knocked up or are ya just fat?"

Nancy looked up, her eyebrows raised as she bit back a smile. She replied slowly, "I'm due with twins in December."

"Twins, huh?" Callie said, her curiosity obviously peaked, "I never knew nobody with twins afore. They got a father?"

Nancy found the wording of the question interesting, "Of course they have a father . . ."

Callie looked at her like an errant child, "Yea, sure," she said impatiently, leaning forward, "but I mean is he around, or did he take off after he knocked ya up?"

Nancy smiled slightly, "My husband isn't going anywhere," she stated matter-of-factly, "He and I chose to start a family."

Callie looked down at the table with a curious look, "You mean you meant to get pregnant?" she asked quietly, her eyes straying questioningly to Nancy's face.

"Yes," Nancy said certainly, "we wanted to have kids."

Callie seemed to be having trouble with this concept. She shifted in her chair, "My mother didn't care anything 'bout me, and then Jackie came along . . . she really didn't want us," Nancy wondered if Callie was trying to convince her, or herself.

Callie's mouth hardened into a bitter line, and she looked at Nancy almost defiantly, "so we left. We're better off on our own anyways."

Nancy nodded thoughtfully, "That may be, but that doesn't mean that all children are unwanted."

Callie snorted, but didn't respond to the statement, instead asking another question, "So, who's your _husband_?"

"HM Murdock," Nancy supplied.

"HM?" Callie asked derisively, "What kind of name is that?"

"My kind of name," Murdock said at Nancy's elbow, startling Nancy, and causing Callie to jump up from her chair, knocking it over.

"HM?" Nancy stood and looked at him in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Worried brown eyes met her blue ones, "I could ask you the same question . . ." he said quietly, "You weren't at your surveillance, and you didn't answer your cell phone, so Riley was naturally a little concerned regarding your whereabouts . . . since you hadn't called."

Nancy winced, it was never a good sign when Murdock sounded so perfectly calm and adult, "I had to turn the cell phone off when we got to the Hospital, and I . . . well, I guess I didn't think to call . . . we haven't been here all that long, and we were busy getting Jack admitted and all . . ." her voice trailed off weakly and she looked at her husband repentantly, "I'm really sorry - I didn't mean to worry you."

Murdock continued to look at her sternly for a few long seconds, but then his gaze softened, and he gathered her into a bear hug, "Oh, heck, I don't care," he said in relief, "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Speak for yourself," Riley said darkly as he dropped into a chair at an adjacent table, "I can't take this kind of shit - I'm getting too old."

Nancy smiled at her partner coyly, "You know that I'm the only thing keepin' you young, Riley!"

Then she realized that Hannibal, BA, and Face were all filing into the cafeteria, too, and her face reddened, "Geez, did you have to call out the entire squad - isn't that a little overkill?"

Murdock crossed his arms, his expression serious again, "You disappear without a trace, and expect us to react any differently?" he asked flatly, "Your track record isn't that great right now, you know."

Nancy began to get irritated – was he going to bringing up what happened with Kennedy forever? She crossed her arms as well, and said warningly, "Don't start with that again. . .," she glanced at Callie, "besides, I had a really good reason . . ."

"Let's hear it," Hannibal suggested, "starting with who the kid is," he indicated Callie with a nod of his head.

Callie was standing against the wall, her eyes big and round. She looked like a rabbit, ready to take flight, and the image was intensified when everyone's attention was turned on her.

Nancy shook off the irritation at her husband, and smiled reassuringly at Callie, stepping to her side, "This is Callie Temple," she supplied, taking up introductions, "Callie, this is my husband, HM, and friends of ours, Hannibal, BA, and Face . . . and the grump in the chair over there is my partner, Riley."

Callie looked around the circle warily, looking only marginally less like she wanted to run away. Nancy decided to take some attention off of her, and supplied a very brief explanation of their arrival at the hospital, "Callie and her brother, Jack were living in an alley just down the street from the juice bar, and Jack was really sick. Callie was afraid of being separated from her brother, so I promised I'd bring her to the hospital and do what I could to make sure that didn't happen."

BA was nodding in approval, "How's the little man now?"

Nancy turned to BA, her face reflecting her concern, "He's a pretty sick little boy," she said, glancing at Callie and choosing her words carefully, she added, "The doctor wanted to get him stabilized. We're just waiting for him to come tell us we can go and see Jack."

"Anything we can do to help?" Hannibal asked. When Nancy shook her head, he turned to BA and Face, "Looks to me like Nancy and Murdock can take it from here - let's head back to the Compound. We've got recruits waiting for us."

Riley stood as well, "Yea, and I'm gonna salvage what I can of the afternoon . . . which isn't much . . . by rescheduling interviews," he looked at Nancy accusingly.

Nancy looked at them ruefully as they turned to leave, "I'm really sorry, guys. I promise next time I won't forget to call."

A chorus of snorts and derisive "yea's" met that statement, and Nancy looked at her husband guiltily. Murdock chuckled, putting an arm around her shoulders, "Don't sweat it, Short Cake. It's just their way of showing that they're glad you're OK."

Callie finally stepped forward, nodding after the group of men exiting the cafeteria, "They like your babysitters or somethin'?"

Murdock glanced down at the girl and his grin widened, "I'd say she's got your number, Short Cake," he said, and pulled out a chair, "Sooooo, what's for dinner?" He pulled Nancy's half eaten plate of food forward, and started cleaning it up. Callie sat down and watched him in amazement for a few minutes, while Nancy sat down and began eating her cake.

Nancy glanced over at the quiet girl, "Do you want anything else, Callie?"

Callie shook her head silently, her eyes never leaving Murdock, who had quickly polished off Nancy's lunch and was eyeing her cake. Nancy caught his look, and smiled, pushing the rest of it over to him. Callie was shaking her head, and Nancy chuckled, "Just keep your hands and feet away from his mouth, Callie, and you'll be safe."

Murdock looked up at Nancy with narrowed eyes, as Callie asked incredulously, "Does he always eat like that?"

Nancy smiled teasingly at Murdock, "Yeah . . .,"

He sat back and crossed his arms, looking from Callie to Nancy, "Hey, I'm sittin' right here," he said crankily.

He leaned forward and looked at Nancy seriously, adding "You know stress makes me hungry - and you really stressed me out this afternoon, Nan."

Nancy's look sobered, "I said I'm sorry," she said irritably, "Can we just drop it . . ."

"Consider it dropped," he said, smiling at her apologetically.

"Thank you."

Cuttey had spent the last couple hours eating, drinking, and planning. Carefully reviewing in his mind everything he knew about Ledley's habits, he'd hit upon a straightforward plan. Ledley spent every Friday evening playing poker at Jester's in eastern DC. He always took a cab, so it would be easy enough to grab him there, he'd be drunk and off-guard. Probably wouldn't realize that he wasn't going home until they were already well on their way to the cabin. He paid his tab and went out to the car. He was going to pick up groceries for the weekend, and drop them by the cabin along with his tools. Then he'd head home, he'd have time to make the rest of the preparations tomorrow.

Dr. Lyons came walking into the cafeteria awhile later, and leaned against an adjacent table considering the trio. Callie jumped up when she saw him, "Is Jack OK?" she asked, worry creasing her face.

The doctor smiled at her reassuringly, "Jack is doing much better, we have his electrolytes stabilized, and we're pumping him full of antibiotics to fight the infection. He's got a pretty bad case of pneumonia, and he's not out of the woods yet, but I'm optimistic," he looked at Nancy, "It's a good thing you brought him in when you did."

Kneeling by Callie, he looked searchingly in her face, "Young lady, I'd really like to take you into one of the examining rooms and give you a thorough once over to make sure you don't have whatever Jack had that started this. I may go ahead and start you on a round of antibiotics anyway, just as a precaution."

Callie looked at the doctor uncertainly, "OK, but I wanna see Jack first. And . . ." she glanced at Nancy, who smiled reassuringly, then looked at Dr. Lyons, "and Nancy comes with me."

Dr. Lyons nodded, "Of course."

First, Dr. Lyons led them to a room down the hall, where Jack was settled in a bed, with IVs and monitors beeping all around him. Nancy thought he looked even frailer there then he had in the little makeshift shelter in the alley. Murdock squeezed her shoulders as they watched Callie walk over and sit on the edge of the bed, talking cheerfully to Jack, "Hey Jackie, they're gonna take good care of you here . . . you'll be better in no time, you'll see. And we'll go play in the park," the little girl took her brother's limp hand and patted it, a brave smile on her face.

She turned to the doctor, "Can I stay here with him?"

Dr. Lyons looked at her apologetically, "I'm afraid not. We're going to be moving him up to ICU in just a little bit, and there is a limit on visitors there. Besides, you need to get your rest, too."

Nancy moved to Callie's side, "We'll come back first thing in the morning and visit Jack and see how he's doing, I promise," she said soothingly.

"I think it would be best if we let Jack get some rest now, that's really what's going to help him get better," Dr. Lyons said, "Let's go take a look at you, Callie and make sure you aren't suffering any ill effects from this infection."

Callie looked like she was going to argue, but after some consideration, she instead turned back to Jack, "I'll be back tomorrow, Jackie – before you know it," she patted her brother's hand, then got up reluctantly and followed the doctor out of the room.

While Murdock sat in the waiting room, Dr. Lyons ushered Nancy and Callie into an empty examining room. He gave Callie a thorough physical examination, and proclaimed her in overall good health, if a little undernourished. As promised, he still wanted to prescribe a series of antibiotics as a precaution, "Callie, why don't you wait here while I take Nancy to get the prescription."

Dr. Lyons led Nancy out into the waiting room, where he motioned for Murdock to join them, out of Callie's earshot, "Mrs. Murdock, I'm in a rather difficult position here," Dr. Lyons began hesitantly, "Given that you found these children in an alley, I really should call Children's Services . . ." he indicated the admission forms, which were still only partially filled out.

Nancy looked at him worriedly, "I just want to make sure that Callie and her brother are going to be able to stay together . . . I promised her I would do everything possible to make sure they weren't separated."

Dr. Lyons hesitated a moment, "That's always a problem with siblings . . . so few foster parents are willing to take more than one child at a time. There's no real way to guarantee that they won't be separated, especially with Jack in the hospital."

Nancy glanced at her husband, who smiled at her with an imperceptible nod, "We would be willing to take care of both children," Nancy said urgently, turning back to Dr. Lyons, "Callie can stay with us . . . and Jack when he's better."

Dr. Lyons nodded thoughtfully, "If that's the case, I think I'm going to delay making any calls today, it's late anyway," he held out the admission form, "For now, fill in your contact information on the forms. We'll resume this discussion tomorrow, after we've had a chance to see how Jack progresses overnight."

Nancy quickly filled out the top of the form while the doctor went to get a prescription slip for Callie. The doctor led them back into the examining room, where Callie had fallen asleep on the examining table.

Dr. Lyons shook their hands, "I'll see you tomorrow morning during visiting hours. Like I said, we'll be moving Jack up to ICU shortly, so check at the front desk when you arrive."

Murdock picked Callie up, and they headed out the door to Nancy's car. Murdock settled Callie in the back seat, closing the door gently so as not to wake her. He looked down at his wife, smiling and putting his arms around her waist, "Short Cake, I've heard of bringing home strays, but this is a little extreme."

She looked at him defiantly, then grinned "You love it!"

She pressed the prescription into his chest, "Why don't you fill this on the way home, and I'll get Callie settled into one of the spare rooms."

Murdock took the slip of paper and kissed her forehead, "Okeydokey. I gotta make a quick run by the airfield too . . . I'll see you at home."

Home Sweet Home

When Nancy pulled into the drive at their farm house, Callie awakened, "Where are we?" she asked groggily.

Nancy looked over the seat, as Callie sat up and rubbed her eyes, "We're home," she said cheerfully, "Let's get you inside and settled."

Inside Nancy gestured around, "Make yourself at home, the bathroom is right in there, the kitchen is at the back of the house - and always well-stocked with HM around . . . maybe you'd like to get a shower while I go make the bed."

Callie nodded silently and went into the bathroom and shut the door. Nancy heard the water starting a few minutes later and headed upstairs to make the bed in one of the spare bed rooms.

When she came downstairs and walked into the bathroom, the shower was still running. She laid a t-shirt and pair of shorts on the sink counter, then picked up the pile of dirty clothes that Callie had left on the bathroom floor and put them in the washing machine.

"Callie, I've left some clean clothes on the sink for you," she said, backing out of the bathroom, "They may be a little big, but they'll have to do until we can get your others clean."

Murdock came in 15 minutes later and found his wife in the kitchen, putting clean dishes away, "Hey Short Cake, where's the little drifter?"

"Getting a shower," Nancy said, glancing towards the bathroom, "She's been in there a long time, should I go check on her?"

"She's fine," Murdock said reassuringly, "Shower probably feels good. She'll get out when all she's gettin' is cold water."

When Callie came out about 10 minutes later, Nancy and Murdock were sitting in the living room talking quietly.

Murdock looked up and grinned at her, "Well I'll be grounded - there was a girl under all that dirt."

Nancy stood and motioned towards the kitchen, "Would you like something to eat or drink, Callie?"

Callie looked at both of them uncertainly, then yawned widely. Nancy smiled, "Maybe you'd rather just go to bed?" The girl nodded and Nancy guided her towards the stairs.

Murdock stood suddenly, "Hang on, you need your medicine," he said, motioning towards the kitchen.

After she'd taken her medicine, they walked upstairs together. Nancy shepherded Callie into one of the rear spare bedrooms, turning the bed covers down, then straightening, she motioned down the hallway "There's another bathroom at the end of the hall, and our bedroom is the door just to the right of it. If you need anything, just give a yell."

Callie still seemed very cautious of both of them but she moved into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted. However, she didn't make a move to lie down.

Murdock crouched down next to her and smiled warmly, "Sleep tight, Callie-girl," he said, and added comfortingly, "you're safe here, there's nothing to be afraid of. And like Nan said, if you need anything, all ya gotta do is whistle. We're right down the hall."

A ghost of a smile touched Callie's lips as Nancy and Murdock left the room, but she didn't lie down until the door was closed behind them, and she had pushed the rocking chair in front of it so she would hear if anyone entered the room. Satisfied that her makeshift alarm was adequate, she lay down in the bed and fell quickly asleep.


	2. Part 2

Caught in the Act

Back down in the living room, Nancy flopped on the couch, feeling all the energy drain out of her. Murdock sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms, "You look all in, Short Cake - I know it's still early, but maybe we should head to bed, too."

Nancy's eyes had closed, and she nodded, "Bed sounds good - you still gotta go to work at 4am tomorrow?"

"Yep, but I should be back around six - I'll make you ladies breakfast in the morning, how's that sound?"

"I don't much care about the food, but it'll be good to see you in the morning," Nancy said, curling into him, "Will you have time to go to the hospital with us in the morning to see how Jack is doing?"

"I'll make time," Murdock said, "We'll have to make sure we're back in time for the 10 o'clock meeting at the Compound, though."

"I checked, visiting hours are 8 to 10," Nancy said, "I don't want to make Callie leave any earlier than she has to. I think she really misses Jack. I hate to put the meeting off again, but do you think Hannibal will have a problem switching the meeting time to 10:30?" she sat up and looked at Murdock quizzically.

Murdock smiled warmly at her, "I'm sure he won't, Short Cake," he said confidently, then his tone turned teasing "'sides you're the boss . . . You big softy."

"I'm not being a softy," she disagreed, "It's just that I can imagine how I would feel in her shoes. She and Jack only seem to have each other, and being separated from him is hard on her."

"You're probably right," Murdock said, nodding, but his grin widened as he continued, "But I still think you're a big softy!"

Nancy smiled and shook her head, "You're the softy in the family . . . I'm the practical one."

"Yea, bringin' a couple stray kids home is real practical . . ." he said, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"And what would have been better, letting Callie go to the orphanage . . . And probably get separated from her brother," Nancy said indignantly, "I promised her I would do what I could to make sure that didn't happen - and bringing her home was the most practical solution."

Murdock reached up and pulled a fuming Nancy down into his arms, "C'mon, Short Cake, ya know I was just teasin' you . . . You did just what I would have expected you to do," he smiled and ran a finger under her chin, "It's OK to be a softy sometimes, just means you're human."

He leaned down and kissed her nose, then looked into her eyes. She smiled slightly, "I guess I do kinda have a soft spot for strays . . . After all, I married you!"

Their eyes held, and he murmured, "Yea, I'm one lucky stray," then leaned down to kiss her, probing her mouth with his tongue, and enjoying the familiarity of it. He was always surprised at how readily she responded to him, and he could feel himself being swept up in the tidal wave of need she always aroused in him. He slid his hand under her shirt, sliding it up over her pregnancy-swollen belly, to the soft curve of her breast. Nancy moaned as he began gently teasing the tip of her nipple through her bra with his fingers.

The phone rang, "Ignore it," Murdock said huskily, leaning in to nuzzle her neck again.

Nancy groaned, "But it might be about Jack, honey," she said.

Murdock stopped and looked into sky blue eyes that reflected his own disappointment at being interrupted. Reluctantly he reached over and picked up the handset, "H'lo?"

"Hey Murdock," Hannibal said, "How's everything there?"

Murdock sighed and leaned back against the couch as Nancy got up, "S'OK, Hannibal," he said, "Callie's clean and in bed."

"How's the little boy?"

"Stable," Murdock said, "Dr. Lyons said he was optimistic, but that Jack wasn't out of the woods yet. They were gonna put him in ICU so they can keep a close watch on him."

"You still up for rooster duty in the morning, or do you want one of us to spell you?" Hannibal asked.

"Naw," Murdock said, "I'll catch rooster duty, as long as you take over like this morning so I can come back and have breakfast with the ladies."

"No problem," Hannibal said, "Is there anything else you need tonight?"

"Don't think so," Murdock said, but Nancy hurried back around the couch, gesturing to her wrist watch to remind him about changing the meeting time, "Oh yea, Hannibal, can we move the meeting back to 10:30 at the Compound? Visiting hours aren't over until 10, so we'll be at the hospital 'til then."

"OK," Hannibal agreed readily, "I'll let Zeb, BA and Face know. You have a good night. We'll see you tomorrow."

"'Night," Murdock said, and hung up the phone.

He stood up, "Time for babies and mama to go to bed? You've had quite a day."

Nancy smiled and nodded, as they started towards the stairs, arm in arm, "That's an understatement."

"Short Cake, where you're concerned the normal English language usually doesn't come close to expressing the reality!"

Upstairs Nancy stopped by Callie's room and pushed the door open a crack to listen. Callie's breathing was deep and even, and Nancy nodded gratefully.

Murdock put his hands on her shoulders, "Out like a light," he whispered, then leaned down and kissed his wife's cheek, and playfully fondled her breast, "C'mon, I believe we have some unfinished business."

In the bedroom, Murdock watched as Nancy peeled off her shirt, grabbing her playfully around the waist and nuzzling the back of her neck, unhooking her bra in the process. Nancy giggled and turned in his arms, allowing her bra to fall to the floor before, putting her own arms around his neck. She pulled his head down so she could reach his mouth and they kissed passionately, Nancy running her hands down his back to find the bottom of his t-shirt. She pulled back and slipped the shirt up and over his head, allowing it to drop to the floor, as she melted back into him. They slowly removed the rest of their clothing, enjoying the simple act of undressing as an excuse to caress and fondle, rediscovering each other's bodies with each touch.

They were moving towards the bed when Nancy suddenly stopped and pulled away, "Did you hear something?" she asked anxiously, looking towards the open bedroom door.

Murdock pulled her close again, "It's just the house settling," he said quietly, kissing her collar bone and eliciting a groan.

"But what if Callie wakes up?" Nancy asked quietly, her hands flat against his chest.

Murdock reached back with a foot, kicking the door shut, "She's sound asleep," he said huskily, dipping his head for a hungry kiss, "and I promise to keep it quiet," he added hastily as Nancy hesitated once again.

Nancy looked into his brown eyes, allowing herself to fall into their depths, she couldn't resist him, "You're right, she's sound asleep," Nancy said, and pulled him down onto the bed, wrapping her legs around him as he slid into her, moaning with mounting urgency, they began rocking in a slow, steadily increasing rhythm, until they both reached climax, clinging to each other and reveling in the unity of the release. Once spent, they lay back in each other's arms, kissing and caressing idly, until sleep overtook them.

Callie awoke with a start, staring in panic into inky blackness, until her eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight coming in the window. She heard low voices, and slipped out of bed, stopping suddenly when the floor creaked under her weight. She moved more carefully after that, slowly making her way to the door to her room. She moved silently into the hall, watching as the door to the bedroom across the hall closed, then bounced open several inches.

Callie moved forward cautiously and looked into the bedroom from the hallway, her eyes as big as saucers watching as Nancy and Murdock slipped into bed. She stood like a statue for a minute, watching in stricken silence. Finally she realized that neither of the people in the bed had heard her, so she slowly and silently backed her way to her room. She slipped back into the bed, and covered her head, falling into an uneasy sleep.

Beauty and the Beast

Cuttey unlocked the door to his apartment, and cursed when the door caught on the chain, "Damn it, Nee, open the fuckin' door."

Footsteps pounded towards the door, "Sorry, Cuttey," Nee said, quickly opening the door, "I didn't hear the key in the door." He brushed past her, casting an irritated look that made her lick her lips nervously.

Nee was about 5'6", slim and pretty with dark, curly hair, warm brown eyes, and smooth golden skin, except where the bruises were turning shades of purple and green. She hurried back to the kitchen, "I made enchiladas for supper, hope you're hungry."

"Already ate," he said curtly, "You better have the laundry done, I gotta pack for the weekend – gotta work."

Nee pulled the pan out of the oven and put it on the stove top. She turned and looked at Cuttey, who was going through the pile of mail, "Laundry's all done and put away," she said, "Did you stop by the old neighborhood today?" she asked tentatively.

"Didn't have a chance," he said absently.

She crossed her arms, a defiant look on her face, "Cuttey, you . . . you promised."

He looked up at her sharply, and Nee stepped back as if struck, "I said, I didn't have a chance."

Nee hugged herself, and looked at him nervously, but pressed, "Maybe you could, you know, give me enough money so I could take the bus over there tomorrow, to check for myself."

"It's a waste of time and money, and I don't want you goin' over there alone," Cuttey said coldly, turning away, "You stay put."

"Please, Cuttey, just let me go check . . ."

"I said 'no', now drop it," Cuttey said sharply, "And you better not set foot outta this apartment, or I'll know. You understand."

Cuttey looked up and his gaze softened, he moved forward and put a hand under her chin, caressing her cheek with his thumb, "Come on chaquita, you know I'm just tryin' to do what's right for _us_. Forget about it," he reached into his pocket and pulled out several small packets of white powder, "Here, I picked these up for you today, you must be getting' low. Didn't I tell you I'd take care of you? Now go eat, I gotta pack a bag for this weekend."

Nee took the bags with trembling fingers. Cuttey kissed her roughly on the lips then turned and walked into the bedroom. She watched his retreating back, a single tear slipping silently down her cheek.

Good Morning, Alice

Callie woke in the morning and looked out from under the covers in confusion - where was she? Slowly the events of the previous afternoon and evening came back to her and she sat up looking around the room she was in.

The walls were textured plaster, painted a pale peach, and the floor was pine, painted in ivory, all dappled with the sunlight shining through the trees and in through the open window. There were only three pieces of furniture in the room, the four poster full bed she was sitting on, a tall cherry wardrobe, and the old wooden rocker that she had moved in front of the door. She noticed that it was back in place and her clean clothes were folded neatly and lying on it. She made a mental note to improve her alarm system for the future, she hadn't even heard the door open.

She stood and stretched, looking out the window, which overlooked a wooden deck with gardens all around it and a stair leading into the back yard. The yard was open grass bordered by a gravel horseshoe-shaped driveway. Leading off the back of the driveway was a rutted track, which led between a cinder-block garage on the left and another cinder block building with a fence around one end on the right. The track continued on back behind the buildings, disappearing between two corn fields. Just past the cinder block building was a pile of old wooden beams, lying in the middle of a field stone foundation.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Nancy peeked through the opening and smiled as Callie turned from the window, "You're awake," she said kindly, "How did you sleep?"

"OK," Callie said uncertainly, looking for some sign that she might be in trouble after her nocturnal wandering.

"Well, HM has breakfast started downstairs," Nancy said, showing no sign that she was the least bit upset, "Why don't you get dressed and join us in the kitchen? Once we're done with breakfast, it'll be time to head in and see Jack."

Callie nodded mutely as Nancy pulled the door shut. Callie could hear her walking back down the stairs and turned to begin getting dressed slowly, her thoughts whirling. She felt like Alice waking in wonderland, and she wasn't too sure what lay around the next corner.

A few minutes later, she had finished dressing, and heard a whistle. She looked out the back window to see Nancy headed across the drive with a couple bowls. Two large brown dogs came bounding out of an opening in the side of the cinder block building, greeting Nancy enthusiastically at the gate in the fence. Nancy opened the gate and walked into the kennel, setting the bowls of food next to a water trough, which she turned and started filling from a nearby hose.

The dogs immediately began wolfing down the food, "Hey guys, you're gettin' a treat this morning," Nancy said, scratching each dog in turn, "HM made bacon, and you got the drippings . . . We'll get you some pancakes later!"

She finished filling the water trough, then closed the kennel gate and headed back to the house. She glanced up and waved when she saw Callie looking out the window. Callie raised a hand in response, then turned abruptly away, embarrassed to be caught watching. She wandered slowly around the room once more, looking in the dresser and the wardrobe curiously before deciding that it was time to see what wonderland had in store for her downstairs.

Callie stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear Nancy talking on the phone, and she could tell it had something to do with her, "Yea, Jazz, whatever you've got . . . I'd say she's about a size 10 or 12 girls. If you have any of Terra's old clothes that she's outgrown it'd be a big help. I haven't got anything even close to her size around here."

There was a pause, then Nancy continued, "No, we don't need to cancel practice, I just may be a little later than 8 . . . I think visiting hours run until then, and I imagine Callie will want to be there 'til they're over. We'll get to the Center as soon as we can."

Callie stepped out of the doorway leading from the stairway into the dining room, and Nancy caught sight of her from the kitchen entry, motioning for her to come into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Murdock was finishing another batch of bacon and was humming happily as he slid another pancake onto the pile in the oven. He turned as Callie entered, "G'mornin', Callie-girl - grab a plate and load up. We're gonna eat on the deck. It's a beautiful morning!"

Nancy meanwhile was finishing her telephone conversation, "Thanks a million, Jazz! We'll see ya at the Center . . . probably around 8:30 or so. 'Bye!" Nancy hung up the phone and walked past Callie to the counter by the stove.

She picked up a plate and handed it to Callie, who was standing hesitantly in the middle of the kitchen, "Better fill your plate before HM gets started or you won't get enough to eat!" she said encouragingly.

Callie looked at them thoughtfully, as Murdock put a couple pancakes on her plate, along with three slices of thick, crispy bacon. Murdock was dressed in khakis and a red t-shirt that read "Nobody's home", with black high-top tennis shoes on his feet. His hair was wet and he smelled of shaving cream, cluing her in that he had gotten out of the shower just recently. Nancy had on a tank top, under a pair of maternity coverall denim shorts, with her wet hair pulled back haphazardly into a braid tail, with loose wisps all around her face.

Murdock motioned out the back door, "Nan's got the table on the deck set, you'll find the butter and maple syrup out there."

Nancy walked to the refrigerator, asking, "Do you want milk or juice to drink?"

Callie looked at Nancy blankly, then seemed to realize that the question was directed at her, "Um . . . milk would be good."

"Chocolate or white?"

Callie smiled spontaneously, "Chocolate!"

Nancy returned the smile. She filled a glass with milk, then squeezed some Hershey's chocolate syrup into the cup. She closed the refrigerator and opened the silverware drawer, pulling out a long teaspoon and putting it in the cup. She picked the cup up and turned, handing it to Callie, "Hope that's enough chocolate."

Callie nodded, adding awkwardly, "Thanks."

"Your welcome," Nancy said warmly, "Head on out back, we'll be out in just a minute."

As Nancy and Murdock sat down to join Callie at the table a few minutes later, she looked up at Murdock, her eyes narrowed, "You know, I'm not a baby . . ." she said accusingly.

Murdock looked at her in confusion, "OK . . ." he said, waiting for more explanation.

Callie looked at him as if he were dense, then indicated the pancakes on her plate, "You didn' hafta make Mickey Mouse pancakes for me," she said flatly.

Realization dawned in Murdock's face, and Nancy pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh, "Callie, he didn't make the Mickey Mouse pancakes for you . . .," she started to explain.

Murdock looked at his wife indignantly, "What other shape is there?" he asked.

Callie was looking at Murdock shrewdly, trying to decide if he was making fun of her, while Nancy tried to get her fit of laughter under control.

He gazed at Callie steadily, "If you don't like Mickey Mouse pancakes, you'll have to make your own," he said seriously, "I don't make any other kind."

Callie cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, causing Murdock to sigh, "Listen, if you don't like Mickey, then there is always the option of alteration. For example, you can eat the sides of his ears off and turn him into a devil," he demonstrated with a pancake on his plate, "Or if you eat one entire ear you have a unicorn," another demonstration, "or you can eat both ears and you'll have your traditional, boring old round pancake," a final demonstration. He looked at Callie seriously, "I honestly have never understood what anyone ever saw in circle pancakes - they're totally boring."

With that, he filled his plate with a half dozen un-mutilated Mickey pancakes, smothered them in syrup, and proceeded to plow through them while Callie looked on in surprise.

She turned and looked at Nancy, whose eyes were still shining with amusement, "Is he for real?" Callie asked, shaking her head.

Nancy smiled fondly at her husband, "Oh, he's the most real person I've every met," she said decisively, "That's partly why I married him."

Turning to Callie, she nodded to her plate, "Better eat up," she said, starting on her own food, "He's quick, and bottomless, and if you want more than what's on your plate you're gonna have to beat him to it."

Callie looked over at Murdock's plate, which was already half empty, and remembered what Nancy had said the day before, "And keep your hands and feet away from his mouth . . ." she said, her expression serious.

Murdock looked up and said sulkily, "Once again, I'm sitting _right here_!"

Callie looked and Nancy, who winked at her and grinned, and couldn't help smiling herself.

Murdock sighed, "I'm not sure I like being outnumbered in my own house."

Nancy looked over at him, and saw the tolerant smile in place, "Don't lie, you love being teased by two women," she admonished.

A wide grin crossed his face, "It's kinda like havin' Strawberries to go with my Short Cake," he said happily, looking at Callie, he raised his fork in the air and brought it down by each of her shoulders, "You are hereby dubbed 'Strawberry'."

Callie looked from one to the other and shook her head in wonder, "You guys are really weird . . .," she said, almost to herself.

Nancy had finished her food, when she looked up, a slightly concerned look on her face, "You know, Carla never called yesterday . . ."

"You talked to her Tuesday night," Murdock said with a shrug, "your Uncle was doing fine then, she probably just figured she didn't need to bother you yesterday."

Nancy shook her head, "She has been calling me once a day like clockwork," she said, "You know how she is . . . it's just not like her to break with routine."

"Nan, I'm sure if anything happens with Hunt, you will be the first person that she'll call. You're worrying about nothing," he said soothingly.

Nancy didn't look convinced, but she picked up her dishes, "We better get moving if we're going to get to the hospital at 8," she said absently as she disappeared into the house.

Callie looked at Murdock curiously, "Who's Carla?"

"Nancy's Uncle's personal assistant," Murdock answered, then picked up his dishes, turning to follow Nancy into the house, "When you're done, bring your dishes in, Strawberry."

When Callie got into the kitchen with her dishes, Nancy was loading the dishwasher, with a portable phone cradled against her ear, "Carla, this is Nancy, just wondered if everything was OK. I'll be at the compound all morning, and you can always get hold of me on my cell," She punched the release button on the handset and set it on the counter, "She's not answering her phone," she said, concern reflected in her tone.

Murdock sighed, "You know she has to turn the cell off while she's at the hospital . . . I'm telling you, you're worrying over nothing."

Nancy shrugged again, and turned to take Callie's dishes, "Callie, would you do me a favor and bring all the other stuff in off the table, there's a tray over there you can use," Callie nodded and headed back outside.

When she came back in, Nancy was on the phone again, "When do the interviews start?"

Callie couldn't hear the reply, but Nancy was nodding, "OK, I'll be there by 2 at the latest. Is Tad in today?"

A satisfied smile crossed her face, "Good, let's hope it lasts for awhile," Glancing at the clock Nancy straightened and closed the dishwasher, "Well, I gotta get moving, Riley, I'll see you at 2, maybe a little before."

Nancy smiled at Callie, "Thanks for clearing the table for me Callie," she said as she started putting things into the refrigerator, "Why don't you go get your shoes on, and we'll get headed out to the hospital to see Jack."

"Where's HM?" Callie asked.

"He has to stop at the airfield before going to the hospital," Nancy explained, "He'll meet us there."

Callie nodded acceptance and went to put on her shoes while Nancy went into the bathroom to change.

When Callie returned from upstairs, Nancy was walking out of the bathroom, dressed in a pair of khaki slacks and a yellow maternity top that tied at the back. Her hair was brushed, and pulled back into a neat bun. She walked into the kitchen and shoved her feet into a pair of white canvas slip on shoes and grabbed her purse and briefcase, "Let's go, Callie," she said as she started out the door.

And the Chaos Begins

In the VW bug, Nancy tossed her briefcase in the back, and dropped her purse in between the two seats, pulling out a cell phone and plugging it into the lighter outlet, muttering to herself about forgetting to charge it the evening before.

She turned and looked at Callie, who was settling into the passenger seat, "All set?" she asked, and at Callie's nod, Nancy turned on the ignition, "Buckle up and we're on our way."

A few silent minutes down the road, the phone rang.

Nancy picked it up, "Hullo?"

Callie glanced over, and listened quietly to Nancy's side of the conversation.

"Carla, is everything OK?"

"Yes, Nancy, everything is fine," Carla said tartly, "I was at the hospital all day yesterday. Your Uncle was feeling quite good, and was on a tear to get some correspondence completed. I'm afraid I was just too tied up to get in touch."

"I'm glad to hear that he's feeling good," she said in relief, "I was a little concerned when I didn't hear from you."

Carla took that as an unspoken admonishment, "I told you, I was just too busy to call. You aren't my primary concern you know."

Nancy felt her jaw tense, she and Carla had come to an uneasy truce after Nancy took over Stockwell Enterprises, but the friction was always there, "I understand that," she said slowly, keeping her temper in check, "I was just making a comment. Is the jet still scheduled in tomorrow?"

"Your Uncle has informed me that he doesn't want you to make the trip to Houston this week. He's well, and he thinks that your time would be better spent in Langley, rather than fussing over him."

Nancy sighed, "I suppose that's just as well, I'd prefer not to have to travel out this week. I do have some things I want to discuss with Uncle, though. I will expect the jet to be here next Friday . . . tell him I'll see him then. I'll talk to you _tomorrow_," she ended pointedly.

"Until tomorrow, then," Carla said, and hung up.

She pressed the release button and set the phone down, her expression grim. Talking to Carla never failed to put her in a sour mood. She made a mental note to call her Uncle tonight at the hospital and talk to him personally, since she wasn't going to see him until the following week. He wasn't one for casual conversation, so she usually didn't call just to say hello, but she could give him an update on her travel plans, and satisfy herself that he was doing well.

The phone rang again, and she picked it up and pressed the send button, "Hullo?"

A relaxed smile crossed her face, "We're on our way to the hospital right now."

"Yep, we'll see you there. Love you, too," she pushed the release button and set the phone down.

Callie looked at her, "Are you always on the phone?"

Nancy chuckled, "Pretty much grows out of my ear, these days," she said ruefully as she pulled onto the highway, "Want to listen to some music?"

Callie nodded and Nancy turned on the cassette, "It's all yours," she said, indicating a cassette case in between the seats, "There's a little bit of everything in there, pick what you like."

In the airfield office, Murdock set the phone back in its cradle and turned to Steve, "I really appreciate this, Steve. Do you have any questions before I take off?"

Steve smiled, "Nope, I think I understand what needs to be done . . . it's not all that complicated. What time will you be back?"

Murdock glanced at his watch, "I've got a meeting at the Compound at 10:30 that'll probably last about an hour, I'll be back after that. Probably 'round noon."

"Sounds good, see you then."

Murdock waved goodbye, "Thanks, again, Steve-o."

Traffic at that time of morning was heavy, and Nancy and Callie pulled into the hospital parking lot at about 8:15. At the front desk they inquired about Jack Temple's room, and were directed to ICU on the second floor in the west wing. They were told to check in at the nurse's station about visiting.

In ICU, Nancy stopped at the main station, "Hi, we're here to visit with Jack Temple, in Room 223."

The nurse stood, and smiled, "Hi, I'm Linda," she said cheerfully, shaking Nancy's hand. She looked down at Callie with a wink, "You must be Callie, Jack's been asking when you would be here all morning."

Nancy smiled apologetically, "Traffic was worse than I anticipated, so we're running a little late."

The nurse came around the desk and motioned for them to follow, "I know, traffic around here just seems to get worse by the day. Be glad you don't have to deal with it on a routine basis!"

She led them around a set of nursing stations, with all kinds of equipment, and stopped outside room 223, "Why don't you head on in and say 'hi' to Jack, Callie," she said motioning the girl into the room.

She turned to Nancy as Callie disappeared into the room, "Dr. Lyons asked me to page him when you arrived, Mrs. Murdock. I'll go do that now, if you'll just wait here."

Nancy nodded and the nurse moved away to a nearby telephone. Nancy turned and looked through the window into Jack's room. Jack was sitting up in bed, and Callie was perched beside him and talking to him animatedly about Nancy and Murdock's house. Callie glanced out the window, and Nancy moved away quickly so that she wouldn't think she was eavesdropping.

Callie looked over her shoulder and saw Nancy moving away.

She turned back to Jack as he said, "It sounds so cool, Cal – I can't wait to see it."

"Don't get too excited," Callie said quietly, "we gotta be careful Jackie . . . they helped us out, but we don't know if we can trust them . . ."

She glanced nervously over her shoulder again, but no one was looking in the window now, "I'm workin' on a stash – they got all kinds of stuff and they'll never miss a couple little things. That way when you get out, if we hafta take off we'll be all set. But you gotta work on gettin' better, 'cause until your out, we're stuck."

Jack pouted, "But it sounds so cool there – can't we stay for awhile. I wanna play with the dogs, and play in the yard," Jack said hopefully, "We never had a yard afore."

"Yea, Jackie, I know," Callie said soothingly, "But we gotta be ready for anything. We'll just hafta see how things go."

Nancy was standing at a nearby counter when the nurse stopped back, "Dr. Lyons will be up as soon as he's done with his rounds. It may be a few minutes."

About ten minutes later, Nancy saw the nurse motioning towards her, and smiled as Murdock came striding down the hall, "How's the little man?" he asked, stopping at her side.

"He seems to be better, he's alert and sitting up. But he still looks pale and tired," she said, glancing back at the room, "Dr. Lyons is on his way up to give us an update. I haven't gone in to talk to Jack, yet, myself. I've been letting Callie spend some time with him alone."

Murdock nodded, and walked over to the window, waving at the two children in the room, then moving back to his wife's side, "'Course, he doesn't know me from Adam. Probably wonders who the weirdo in the baseball cap is."

"I doubt if he'll remember me either. He was pretty out of it yesterday," she grinned, "But I'm sure Callie will fill him in. I heard her telling him all about the house and I'm sure she won't leave out a detail about the weird people that live there."

They talked quietly about the day ahead. Nancy filled him in on her conversation with Carla, "That woman infuriates me at times," she said in frustration.

Murdock chuckled, "I know, Nan, but you have to admit that she's darn good at her job!"

Nancy sighed, and then straightened suddenly when she noticed Dr. Lyons coming towards them. He was smiling brightly, which helped to set Nancy's mind at ease.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said, walking on past them and glancing in the window to Jack's room. With a satisfied nod, he picked up a chart out of a holder on the door, and turned back to Nancy and Murdock, "Jack is doing _much _better this morning," he said cheerfully, consulting the chart, "His electrolytes are good, his fever is under control, and he's even eaten some chicken broth and kept it down this morning."

He looked up at them, "I think we'll be able to move him to a regular room as soon as tomorrow if he continues to progress at this rate. I won't make that decision until his fever has remained down for at least 24 hours and he's taken in some solid food. However, at this point, I am willing to say that he's out of the woods, and well on his way to recovery!"

"That's a relief," Nancy said, "When do you think he'll be discharged?"

Dr. Lyons reached back and put the chart back in its place, "Probably sometime next week," he said, turning to look at Nancy and Murdock his expression serious, "Mr. and Mrs. Murdock, we're going to have to discuss arrangements for the children."

"They're welcome to stay with us, Doctor," Murdock said certainly.

Dr. Lyons smiled gratefully, "And if it were up to me, I'd leave it at that, but I'm afraid in a situation like this, I really don't have a choice but to get Children's Services involved. The children have apparently been abandoned, and they will have to be placed legally with a foster family until more permanent arrangements can be made."

Nancy's expression reflected her concern, "But you said with Jack in the hospital, they might be split up. I promised Callie that I'd do what I could to make sure she and her brother weren't separated. What would HM and I have to do to keep them? We'd be willing to take them both."

Dr. Lyons smiled in understanding, "That will, of course, be up to the Agency, but I'm sure that you would be considered. I'll call today, and put in a good word for you myself."

Nancy and Murdock nodded, and Murdock spoke, "Tell them that we'd really like to help however possible. We've already gotten pretty attached to Callie," he looked at his wife fondly, "I'm sure Jack won't be far behind."

Dr. Lyons nodded, "I understand, Mr. Murdock, but a word of caution - just because you're willing, doesn't mean you'll get the children to foster. And even if you foster, once the state makes permanent arrangements the children will likely be taken out of your care. There just aren't any guarantees."

Nancy nodded, "I can handle that, as long as they're placed together. That's my primary concern at this point."

"Very well," the Doctor said, "I'll call Children's Services and have them get in touch with you . . . I'll tell them that there's no urgency, since you're willing to take care of Callie. But I would imagine they'll be in touch either today or tomorrow."

Dr. Lyons took Nancy's and Murdock's contact information, "I don't think there should be any problem with you all visiting with Jack at once. But please do leave when visiting hours are over. He really needs his rest."

They nodded in agreement, "We'll be back this evening - visiting hours are 6 to 8 right?" Nancy asked.

Dr. Lyons nodded, "I'm sure Jack will be glad to have the company, but I don't want to tax his energy too much. Keep your visits to designated hours for the weekend. Next week we'll talk about the possibility of Callie seeing him more often than that if we can't send him home."

Callie came out of the room as Dr. Lyons was providing this advice. She walked over and tugged on his coat, "Is Jack gonna be alright, Doc?"

Dr. Lyons crouched down so he was at Callie's level and nodded, "I'm pretty confident that Jack is going to be just fine. But, he still needs his rest. How are you doing?"

Callie shrugged, "I'm OK. But I miss Jack. We haven't been apart for a long time."

Dr. Lyons nodded, "I understand, Callie, but Jack really needs to spend a good deal of time just sleeping and getting better. There's no point in you hanging around and watching him - the nurses can do that. You come and visit when you can, and let the nurses do their job. We'll make sure Jack is taken care of properly."

"OK," she said, turning to head back into Jack's room. She stopped at the door and turned back as Dr. Lyons stood up, "Thanks for takin' care of Jack for me, Doc," she said seriously, then disappeared into the room.

Dr. Lyons smiled, shaking his head, "so young, and the weight of the world on her shoulders," he said quietly, "It just makes me sick to see kids like that. Of course," he looked at Nancy and Murdock with a smile, "They're two of the lucky ones. Well, I'll probably see you folks tomorrow." He waved as he headed down the hall.

Nancy and Murdock went to the door to Jack's room and waited to be acknowledged. Callie was sitting in a guest chair near the bed, and turned to motion them in authoritatively. She turned back to her brother and introduced them, "Jack, this is Nancy, and this is HM - they're the ones I stayed with last night."

"Hello Jack," Nancy said warmly.

"Hi there, buddy," Murdock said cheerfully, "You sure do look a whole lot better today!"

Jack's eyes were locked on Nancy, and he spoke quietly, "I 'member you - you came to the alley."

Nancy moved up to the side of the bed, and instinctively placed a hand on his forehead, and smiled at the coolness compared to the raging fever she'd felt the day before, "Yep, that's me," she said, looking searchingly into the bright hazel eyes that gazed back at her, "you were one sick little boy."

Callie had stood as Nancy moved towards her brother, her expression watchful, and distrustful.

Jack didn't seem to notice, "I thought you were an angel . . .," he said.

Nancy chuckled, "I'm no angel, Jack - but I'll take that as a compliment."

Callie pushed impatiently past Nancy, distrust and jealousy apparent in her demeanor. She stood at Jack's head, "She sure ain't an angel," she said derisively, "Angels don't do what she did with him las' night."

Murdock's eyes widened in surprise, "What did you say?" he asked incredulously.

Callie looked at him uncertainly, but when she turned back to Jack, her tone was defiant, "I saw 'em, they was naked and kissin' . . . 'n doin' lots of other stuff," she turned to Murdock with narrowed eyes, "It's the truth!"

"That may be," Murdock said, looking at Callie sternly, "But, you certainly had no business in our bedroom last night!"

"The door was open!" she said angrily.

"Regardless, it isn't something that you should have seen, and it certainly isn't something that you should talk about!" Murdock said, equally as angry.

Nancy stood up between the two and looking at her husband said quietly, "What's done is done," she then turned and looked at Callie firmly, "However, from now on I have to ask, Callie, that you please respect the privacy of our bedroom."

Callie looked embarrassed, but her jaw was set in a stubborn line, "You're not my mother," she spat, "You can't tell me what to do."

Nancy turned to look at the girl squarely, "No Callie, I'm not your mother," she said evenly and firmly, "but while you are staying in our home, you will obey the rules of the house, and that includes respecting people's privacy. _Do you understand?_"

Nancy held Callie's gaze until she finally mumbled, "Yes."

Nancy nodded acceptance, "Alright then, that's the end of it," she said turning her attention back to Jack. She sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the boy's arm, "Dr. Lyons said you may get to leave as early as next week - you're making real good progress."

Jack's eyes were wide with concern as he looked from Nancy to his sister, who still looked defiant, if a little shell-shocked, but was now quiet. Seeing that the argument seemed to have passed, he smiled, "Good, Cal said you got dogs- can I play with 'em?"

Murdock's expression relaxed, and he looked at Jack and chuckled, "You mean Billy and Ginger? They'd just love to play with ya, buddy. When you're feelin' better we'll take 'em back to the pond and throw sticks. They love to go swimmin' after 'em!"

Callie was still brooding over the argument, but mention of the pond seemed to distract her, and she perked up, "You got a pond?" she asked incredulously, "Can we go swimmin' too?"

Murdock chuckled and gave her shoulders an affectionate squeeze, "Maybe when the weather's a little warmer . . . Do ya know how to swim, Strawberry?"

Callie flinched and tensed at the touch, but didn't pull away. Looking up at Murdock with a combination of wariness and uncertainty, she bit her lip, "Not really . . ."

Murdock prudently stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets, but he still smiled encouragingly, "Then we'll just have to teach you."

The rest of the visit passed uneventfully, with Callie and Jack making plans for what they wanted to do when Jack got out of the hospital. By 10, Jack was looking worn out, and Nancy stood, "We're going to have to get going and let Jack get some rest," she said gently.

Callie looked at Jack discerningly, as he yawned widely, "Yea, he does look pretty tired."

"You remember what Dr. Lyons said, Jack needs to get plenty of sleep. We'll come back tonight at 6 and you can visit again."

Jack looked up, "Will _all_ of you come?"

Murdock smiled, "Of course we'll all come. Now you get some rest, buddy and we'll see you tonight."

Jack smiled and waved weakly as they exited. When they looked back in the window, his eyes were already closed.

After leaving Jack, they walked in silence out of the hospital. Out parking lot Callie hesitated to get in the car and Nancy looked at her curiously, "Is something wrong, Callie?"

She looked at Nancy and Murdock ruefully, "About . . . well about last night . . . I didn' _mean_ to be, you know, nosey."

Nancy and Murdock exchanged a glance, then Murdock smiled at Callie, "It's all but forgotten, already, Strawberry. . ."

She didn't look convinced, and started explaining impetuously, "You see, I woke up and was scared and I sat in the room for a minute, then I heard you and Nancy talkin' and I went out and looked in your bedroom door . . . and I . . . I, well . . . you were, uhm . . . I didn' know what to do . . . so, I went back to my room," She stumbled to a stop, looking at Murdock apologetically.

Murdock nodded thoughtfully, "I imagine it was a bit of a shock. And honestly, Nan and I aren't used to sharing the house with a half-pint. Let's make a deal," he said, "We'll make sure the door's shut, and next time you want to talk to us at night, just be sure to knock first."

Callie nodded, "It's a deal," she said seriously.

More than One Mistress

Cuttey rolled out of bed late, lighting a cigarette before he even dressed. He took a drag, then looked out the dirty third-floor window, going over his plan for the day. His main goal for today was to get a cab for use in the kidnapping. He wanted an old cab, one that no one would report stolen. Easiest would be to take an old car and paint it like a cab. He'd call on another buddy for that – he always had spare cars around, and could paint it however Cuttey needed, for the right price.

He glanced over his shoulder, then reached under the bed, pulling a cigar box out and counting the money in it absently, then again, more agitatedly. Then he stood and stormed into the living room, where Nee was folding clothes. He waved the money in her face, and grabbed her wrist with his free hand, "Did you take money outta here?"

"No, Cuttey, no," she said frantically moving as far away as possible with him holding her wrist. Her eyes were bright and watery, and the spent bag of cocaine was a clue as to why.

"Don't lie to me, you took 50 bucks out of here – what were you planning on doing with it? Buying more drugs? Taking a trip to the old neighborhood?" Cuttey's face was red, in stark contrast to Nee's, which was pale and frightened.

"No, I . . . I just needed some money to go to the store – we're out of cigs and a bunch of other stuff . . ."

Cuttey just stared at her for a moment, then back-handed her across the face, with enough force to throw her to the floor, "Next time, ask. And you better not get on no fuckin' bus."

"Consider that your household allowance for the week," Cuttey spat, as he walked back to the bedroom to get dressed.

Callie rode with Nancy again, listening in on several phone calls from the time they left the hospital until they arrived at the Compound.

"Boy you ain't kiddin' when you say that thing grows outta your ear!" Callie said as they got out of the car. She looked around, and her eyes grew wide, "Wow, is this your house, too?"

Nancy laughed, and led her up the steps to the front door, "No, I just work here."

The door opened, and Hannibal stood there grinning, "'Bout time you showed up, Murdock was here ten minutes ago."

Nancy shrugged, "Yea, well, Murdock has a lead foot, too."

Hannibal chuckled, "Can't argue there," he agreed, he looked down at Callie and winked, "Hi there, Callie, good to see you again."

He motioned back into the house, "We're all set in the living room, just waiting on you."

Nancy nodded, "Sorry I'm late . . . I tend to slow down when I'm on the phone, and I had several calls on the way here."

Callie was trailing along and she tugged on Nancy's shirt, "You work for him or somethin'?" she asked quietly, looking uncertainly at Hannibal's back. She remembered him from the hospital cafeteria the day before, but that seemed like ages ago.

Nancy smiled, "Yea, or somethin' . . ."

Hannibal turned and looked at Callie, his grin wide, "Heck kid, she's the boss."

Callie looked at Nancy in surprise, "You mean, like, they hafta do what you say?"

Nancy laughed, "Well, that's a matter for debate," she said, as they entered the living room, "Would you like to go outside and play- this won't take too long."

Callie looked at Nancy apprehensively, "Do I have to?"

Nancy smiled, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Cal. I just think that you're probably going to be kinda bored," when Callie shrugged and didn't make a move to go outside, Nancy motioned to the dining room table, "go ahead and have a seat, and please keep quiet."

Murdock came walking in from the kitchen, and ruffled Callie's hair as he walked by. She smiled, at least she knew more than one person here. She recognized two of the other men in the room from the first day at the hospital, but she couldn't remember their names. She was feeling like Alice, again, at the Hatter's tea party, and wondered when the Queen would show up.

Nancy took another seat at the dining room table, dropping her briefcase on the floor, and pulling her planner out, "Sorry to keep you all waiting . . . more than once," she said ruefully, "This is Callie Temple, for those who don't know - she's staying with HM and I for awhile."

There was quiet conversation around the room, until Nancy was settled and said, "Well we might as well get started . . . Hannibal?"

Hannibal provided a brief rundown of progress with the new teams, "At this point, the best option is to split them into two groups, and maybe fill in with a couple more applicants. They all work well together, and it will give us some more flexibility in assignment, once they're ready to go."

"Sounds like an excellent idea, Colonel," Nancy said, "When will we be ready to set the first assignment?"

Hannibal looked at her with raised eyebrows, "No sooner . . . we still have 8 and a half weeks of training left. We need to start exploring specialties and get started with the individual training, as we discussed earlier in the week."

Nancy nodded, "I think pulling some instructors in from the outside will help strengthen the individual training phase. Do you think there's any shortening the schedule?" she asked, pulling a file folder marked 'Prospective Projects' out of her briefcase and flipping through several pages.

"Not if you want a fully functional team," Hannibal said shortly.

"Nothing less than fully functional, Hannibal," Nancy said, smiling slightly. She passed several sheets over to him, "These are some projects that are pending, and the timing should be right for first assignment. I want to give the new teams something that will be good to cut their teeth on without too much risk. Take a look and let me know what you think. If anything else comes along, I'll pass them on. We'll probably have to hold off on a final decision until we get a good profile on capabilities."

Hannibal nodded as he took the sheets, "That's all for me. I'll let BA and Face fill you in on their parts, since they're here."

"BA?" Nancy prompted.

"The renovations are on schedule to be complete by the end of next month . . . if the obstacle course equipment ever gets here," he looked at Face accusingly.

Nancy raised an eyebrow, "Face?"

"I have been assured that the obstacle course equipment is en route," Face said defensively.

"Face," Nancy said with a slightly amused look, "The equipment has been 'en route' for over a month. I think it's time to lean on the supplier and tell them to get it here, or we're finding another source."

"If we end up placing a new order with a different source it could delay delivery by another 8 weeks," Face said.

Nancy shrugged, "It could be another 8 weeks at this rate, anyway - I'm willing to take the chance. What do you think, Hannibal?"

Hannibal nodded, "Do it, Face. We're getting along with the old course for now, but I'd really like to break the new equipment in with this round of recruits."

Face nodded, "Will do."

"Speaking of recruits," Nancy said leadingly, "How are we doing with the next round of interviews?"

"The applications have slowed to a trickle," Face said, "But we're still probably getting one or two a week. I've got 12 candidates scheduled in next week. They're scheduled in groups of four, each morning on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Are you going to want to be there?"

Nancy was quiet for a moment, considering her schedule, "I'll have to see what I can swing," she said uncertainly, "I'll have to let you know."

"You don't really need to be there, Nan," Murdock said.

"Murdock's right, we can handle the interviews," Hannibal agreed.

Nancy looked from one to the other, "I'm sure you can, but I'd like to at least have a look," she said, "I'll let you know when I can be here." Murdock shot Hannibal a frustrated glance as Nancy turned her attention to Zebediah Deal, who had worked for Stockwell Enterprises longer than any other Abel Agent, "What have you got, Zeb?"

Zeb cleared his throat, "Well, we have ten active projects at the moment, and my time has been spent keeping abreast of developments and making sure we have coverage. The Columbian project is taking more time than I expected and it seems like there has been little progress in the past month . . ."

Nancy nodded, "I noticed that, and we've been on that one for 6 months already . . . what's the hold up?"

"The Agent in charge is adamant that we need to sit tight and bide our time. We'll get our in, if we're patient," Zeb said, though his voice reflected his uncertainty.

Nancy looked at Zeb directly, "What do you think, Zeb?"

He took a deep breath, "I think our positioning is off. We're not going to get anywhere the way things are going. I'd pull the team, and try another tack. Based on the most recent intelligence, there are much more vulnerable angles that could be taken advantage of more quickly."

Nancy nodded, "DEA is lead on this one, right?" Zeb nodded affirmative, and Nancy continued, "Talk to the lead Agent and give him your opinion. We'll give this one another month, then we'll have to pull out if they don't make progress or decide to change tacks. We can't afford to have two agents sitting idle."

Zeb looked uncomfortable, "You want me to talk to the lead Agent? Usually the General would handle that kind of communication . . ."

Nancy looked up sharply, but bit back a retort, instead saying evenly, "Zeb, you can handle it. If the lead Agent gives you any problem about pulling our agents, you can have him talk to me. Otherwise, I want you to handle it."

Zeb shrugged, "Whatever you say."

Nancy flipped back several pages in her planner, "Have there been any developments with the personnel issue you had last meeting?"

Zeb sighed, "Collins and Harrington are still at each other's throats - too long in close quarters I guess."

"Is it affecting performance?"

"Maybe somewhat. I did as you suggested, and coached them on some coping tactics, but it doesn't seem to be helping."

"When are they due to cycle out of the project?" Nancy asked.

"Not for another month."

"Should we move the schedule up?"

"I would, but we're short-handed right now. We have 25 agents on the roster, and with ten active projects, we're stretched pretty thin."

"Which gets us to our current staffing problem . . ." Nancy said quietly.

"Exactly. Have you made any progress on that front?" Zeb asked.

Nancy sighed wearily; she'd been hoping that this problem would rectify itself. Her uncle hadn't hired in over a year, and she felt certain there had to be a reason. It was one of the items she had hoped to speak to him about this week. Maybe she could broach it tonight when she talked to him, "How short are we, Zeb?"

"I could put three more agents to work immediately, and that would still leave us with no buffer. We've got agents in the field that haven't had a sabbatical in a year. We have to do something about the personnel shortage, and the sooner the better!"

"I'll work on it," Nancy said, "Is there anything else?"

"When can I expect to see some additional manpower?" Zeb asked forcefully.

"I said, I'll work on it, Zeb," Nancy said flatly, "Do you have anything else?"

"No."

"Alright, does anybody have anything for the good of the order?" Nancy glanced around the room absently, "That's it then. We'll meet again next week."

As the group broke up, Murdock conferred briefly with Hannibal, then walked over to the table, where Nancy and Callie were still sitting, "What's up for the rest of the day?"

Nancy looked up, her smile relaxing, "I have two conference calls, and I need to get back to AI for interviews starting at two. What about you?"

'I'm headed to the airfield for the afternoon," he turned to Callie, "You wanna stick with Nan or come with me to the field, 'Berry?"

"I'll come with you," Callie said certainly, "a bunch of conference calls don't sound too interesting."

Nancy chuckled, "No, they don't . . . wish _I_ could come with you!"

"You could . . ." Murdock said, raising his eyebrows suggestively, "Just play hookie."

Nancy smiled ruefully, "It would just be that much worse when I came back . . . I'll see you two at home tonight?"

Murdock leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "This afternoon," he said looking into her eyes seriously before straightening up, "and don't forget that visiting hours start at 6 - we'll have to get dinner early."

"I won't forget," she promised.

He nodded, then motioned to Callie, "Come on, Strawberry, let's go!" he said, steering her out of the house.

Nancy watched them leave, then turned and gathered her files together to head back to the office and get ready for the first conference call of the day.

Murdock and Callie arrived at the airfield to find Steve on the phone with his father, "Dad, I said we can discuss it when I get back . . . yes, I'll see you then."

Steve hung up the phone as they approached, and Murdock asked worriedly, "Is everything OK?"

Steve smiled at Murdock, "No problems here, boss," he said with forced cheerfulness.

Murdock gazed at him discerningly, "If this is gonna cause problems between you and your Dad, Steve-o, I can find another solution . . ."

Steve shook his head vehemently, "No way, I really enjoyed myself here this morning," he said certainly, "Dad will just have to come to grips with it."

Steve stepped out from behind the counter, "Ready for your lesson?" he asked, then caught sight of Callie, "Hi, there - who're you?"

Murdock grinned, "This is Callie Temple, she's stayin' with me and Nan for a while."

Steve held out a hand, which Callie shook shyly, "Nice to meet you, Callie - you gonna come up with us today?"

Callie looked at Murdock uncertainly, and he smiled at her, "That's entirely up to you, Strawberry."

She smiled happily, "Then yes," she said.

Steve nodded, "Great! If you don't mind, I'd like to get the lesson done now, I promised Dad I'd be at the store by 1."

"Let's go!" Murdock said enthusiastically, taking Callie's hand and leading her out to the field. Callie hesitated slightly, and Murdock stopped and looked down at her, "Is something wrong, Strawberry?"

Callie shrugged, "No, I was jus' thinkin' that I wished Jack was here – he really loves airplanes."

Murdock smiled, "Well, then, when he gets out of the hospital, we'll just have to take him for a ride."

Callie smiled broadly at him, "Yea, guess we will!"

They took up a Cessna for the lesson, with Steve in the pilot seat, and Murdock copiloting, and providing guidance.

Callie sat in the back, and listened to the two men bantering back and forth. After about half an hour in the air, Steve looked over and laughed at the longing expression on Murdock's face, "Why don't you take her home, Murdock," he said with a chuckle, "I can tell you're dying to get at the controls!"

Murdock gladly took the controls, and banked to head towards home with a howl.

Back at the field, Steve looked at his watch, "I better get going - you want me back later this afternoon?"

Murdock looked up from the post-flight checklist, "If you can," he said uncertainly, "say from 4:30 'til 7 - then hang out the closed sign."

"No problem - see you at 4:30!" Steve lifted his hand in a wave, then turned and left.

Nancy spent the next two hours on the phone in conference calls regarding perspective projects that she knew she didn't have the resources to cover. Then she hurried to Adam's Investigations and spent the rest of the afternoon in interviews.

She and Riley were discussing the candidates when Stephanie stuck her head in, "Hey, I'm takin' off, I'll see ya tomorrow."

"See ya, Steph," Nancy said, looking at her watch absently, then jumped out of the chair, "Shit, it's after 5, and I promised HM I'd be home for an early dinner . . . Gotta go Riley," she started out the door.

"Hang on," Riley said, "We didn't decide who to invite back for second round . . ."

Nancy glanced back, "I'll talk to you about it in the morning," she said hurriedly, "I really gotta get home."

The cab was acquired – a buddy from his unit in 'Nam was setting him up right. He'd pick it up the next morning. Now all that was left to do was take his clothes to the cabin, and get everything there ready. Cuttey liked to have everything laid out and clean, so he spent the rest of the afternoon at the cabin, envisioning with perverse the pleasure the weekend ahead.

Late Again 

Callie helped Murdock fix a dinner of burgers, baked beans, and fries by setting the table. Murdock had let Billy and Ginger out of the kennel, and after finishing the table setting Callie happily played fetch with the dogs while Murdock finished grilling the burgers.

Murdock went into the house and pulled the fries out of the oven, glancing at the clock. It was after five and Nancy hadn't shown up yet.

He picked up the phone and dialed Adam's Investigations. When Riley answered, he greeted him shortly, "Hey, Riley, is Nan still there?"

"Nope," Riley said crankily, "Said she had to get _home_ - and we hadn't even finished our interview process. She just jumped up and ran out on me, _again_!"

"Cut her some slack, Riley," Murdock said defensively, "she's doin' the best she can."

Riley sighed, "I know, HM," he said appeasingly, "And I suppose if anyone has the right to pull her away, it's you - but dammit I've known her longer!"

Murdock chuckled humorlessly, "Using that logic, I guess that means Stockwell has first dibs."

"Ah, shit," Riley said wearily.

"My sentiments exactly," Murdock said flatly.

Nancy pulled into the driveway about 5:30, thinking she was lucky she'd made it home without a speeding ticket. She jumped out of the car and ran to the back of the house where she found Murdock and Callie finishing up their dinner. She slowed to a walk and climbed up the steps onto the deck heavily, "Sorry I'm late," she said dropping her purse and briefcase by the back door and coming to the table.

Murdock looked up and smiled, "It's OK," he said reassuringly, "Callie and I will clean up while you eat. Then we can get in to see Jack."

Nancy watched as he stood and picked up his empty dishes. He stooped briefly and kissed her cheek, "Better hurry and eat, we don't want to be too late for visiting hours," he turned and strode into the house, stopping briefly to pick up her purse and briefcase.

Nancy sighed, looking at the food guiltily, and the fact that Murdock wasn't upset just seemed to make her feel worse, "I'm not all that hungry, any ways," she said, mostly to herself. She picked up a couple plates of leftovers, "I'll just eat later. Callie, if you're done, please help clear the table."

They had the table cleared and were pulling out of the drive 5 minutes later in Nancy's bug, with Murdock behind the wheel.

Murdock glanced at Nancy, "Do you want me to stop somewhere and pick you up a burger?"

Nancy shrugged, she wasn't feeling all that hungry, but she knew she should eat, "I can't handle any fast food . . ."

"How about the deli - I could get you a quick sandwich there . . ."

"I'm OK for now, hon," she said with a smile, "Maybe we can stop on the way to the Center," she added when he appeared ready to protest. Nancy then turned slightly in her seat, "So, Callie what did you and HM do this afternoon?"

Callie launched into an animated description of the flying lesson, "Steve was good, but HM did all kinds of cool stuff - like loops and spins . . ."

Nancy grinned at her enthusiasm, "Yea, riding with him is kinda like riding a roller coaster," she agreed, glancing affectionately at her husband.

"I don't know, I've never been on a roller coaster," Callie said uncertainly, then her smile returned, "But it sure was fun. I can't wait to tell Jack all about it. Do you think I could learn to do all that stuff?"

Murdock's smile was broad, "You betcha, Strawberry," he said, "We can take you up in Aunt Bea to start - the controls are all close."

"Aunt Bea?" Callie said quizzically.

"That's Nan's plane," Murdock said in explanation.

Callie looked at Nancy, "You fly, too?"

Nancy smiled, "Yep," she said, then looked at her husband, adding teasingly, "I don't think HM would have married me otherwise."

Murdock grinned good-naturedly, "Sure I would have - we just would have had to correct that one tiny flaw!"

They laughed and talked all the way into the hospital. At the front desk they checked to see if Jack had been moved out of ICU, but were told he was still in the same room. So they trooped up to 223, checking in at the nurse's station on the way.

Jack was already sitting up in bed when they arrived. Callie bounced into the room and sat on the edge of Jack's bed, excitedly talking about her day. Though Jack's color was definitely better, he still lay quietly, mostly just listening to Callie ramble. That was, until she got to the part about her airplane ride with Murdock.

Jack perked right up, "Can I go for an airplane ride, too?"

"HM said we'd take you as soon as you get out of the hospital," Callie said assuredly.

"Cool," Jack said, and huge smile lighting his face, and his eyes taking on a far away look, "I always imagined flying away like in a chanted airplane - to a kingdom where there were only gentle people and nobody ever got hurt."

Nancy and Murdock exchanged a glance, and Murdock smiled at the boy warmly, "Never heard of a Chanted airplane, but it sure sounds like a really great dream . . ."

Jack's eyes refocused on Murdock and he grinned, "I think it's true, there is a place like that. You just have to believe."

Callie sighed, "It's just a stupid old song Mom taught him."

Jack smiled, nodding, and sang in a sweet voice:

_Just waitin' for the time  
Could maybe make me insane.  
My heart is so hungry  
Livin' on patience alone,  
Please hurry chanted sky machines  
Take all the gentle home._

_Nancy smiled in recognition and joined him in the next verse:_

_My desire is a rosebud  
In the magic design.  
I can't wait to feel it bloom  
They'll be landin' anytime.  
Then when the skeptics are wonderin'  
Where all the faithful have flown,  
We'll be on enchanted sky machines  
The gentle are goin' home. _

Jack grinned at Nancy, "You know 'bout the chanted airplanes, too."

"I sure do, sweetheart," she said, smiling, "I sure do."

Callie just harrumphed, "I ain't never seen one, and I don't think there's any such place."

"Is so," Jack said.

"Is not, and it's just . . . just babyish to think so," Callie countered.

"I'm not a baby, and it does so exist," Jack said angrily, bright red splotches rising on his cheeks.

"Whoa, buddy," Murdock said, pushing him gently back onto his pillows.

"But it's true," Jack insisted, "You just have to believe – Mama said so."

Callie crossed her arms and slumped in her chair, "Ma would say anything to get you to go to sleep so she could go party," she said quietly.

Nancy patted Callie's shoulder, "It's OK to believe in things you've never seen, Callie. It's not babyish, it's a gift," then she turned to Jack and grinned, "But, it's also good to have a healthy skepticism, Jack. Maybe that's why you and Callie make such a good team – you have enough faith for Callie, and she has enough skepticism for you. You just need to learn from each other."

Jack relaxed against the pillows, but then a quizzical look crossed his features, "What's 'keptism'?"

Murdock smiled, "Skepticism - it means not believing everything you're told," he explained.

Callie nodded, "I have lot's of s-k-e-p-t-i-c-i-s-m," she said.

Murdock looked at Callie and chuckled, "Yes, Strawberry, you've demonstrated that – but sometimes you really need to trust people."

Callie pursed her lips and shrugged, "Guess so," she said noncommittally, as Jack started asking Murdock questions about flying.

Callie watched Nancy and Murdock through veiled eyes. Trust didn't come easily to her, but she found her guard dropping around these two grownups. They were different from the people her Mom always hung around. She was sure hoping that her trust in them wasn't misplaced – she was getting tired of running, but she was always ready. She just had to bide her time until Jack was healthy and out of the hospital. Then they'd have options. Worst case, if things went south, they could run again.

Cuttey walked in the apartment and back to the bedroom without a word, dropping on the bed fully clothed.

Nee stood in the bedroom doorway, "Are you hungry?"

"No," he said, lifting his head, "I'm goin' to bed. Got a long weekend ahead of me, and I need to get plenty of sleep. Don't wake me until 10:30 tomorrow morning."

As his head dropped back onto the pillow, Nee moved to the other side of the bed and picked up her pillow, watching as Cuttey's eyes closed. She gripped the pillow savagely as she looked at him, envisioning the pillow over his face. Finally she turned and left the room, she knew she didn't have the strength to go through with it. She closed the bedroom door and dropped the pillow on the end of the couch. Then she headed back to the kitchen for a solo supper, and maybe a little after-supper relaxation, she needed it.

Practice Makes Perfect

Callie stood at 8 sharp, and announced authoritatively that they should leave and let Jack get his rest, "The Doc said so."

They did stop at the deli and pick up a sandwich for Nancy, as well as a couple sweet pastries for Murdock and Callie. Then they headed for the Langley Community Center, arriving a little past 8:30. Murdock retrieved Nancy's guitar from the trunk, and they headed inside.

Charlotte Lincoln, the Center's Director, and BA's fiancée, greeted them at the door, "You made it," she said happily, then turned to Callie, holding out a hand, "You must be Callie - I'm Charlotte. BA was telling me all about you and your brother - how is Jack doing?"

Callie smiled shyly, "He's doing a lot better, thank you."

BA had come up behind Charlotte and put a hand at the small of her back, "Hey there, little sister - glad to hear Jack's doin' better," he then looked up at Nancy and Murdock in greeting, "Hi little Mama, hey Murdock, everybody else is already here."

The Thursday night rehearsal had become a regular gathering of friends at the LCC. Trixie and Joe Martin were there, with their two children, along with Nancy's father Carl Clay, BA's Mama, Hannibal and Maggie, Face and Amy and little Jonny, and BA and Charlotte. Terra, Jazz's daughter, was there hanging out with a group of kids from the Center. Even Blanche, Jazz's mother, was present, apparently having the evening off from the diner.

Jazz looked up as they entered the main room, and waved enthusiastically. She headed towards them, snagging Terra on the way and pulling her along.

"Hi, Nan, HM, and you must be Callie," she indicated Terra, "I'm Jasmine, and this is my daughter Terra. Terra, why don't you take Callie over and introduce her to some of the other kids?"

Terra grinned at Callie, "C'mon Callie. We're hangin' out over here waiting for practice to start," she took Callie by the arm, not leaving any chance for protest, talking to her conspiratorially as they walked away.

Jazz watched them for a few seconds, and then turned back to Nancy and Murdock, "I've got a whole big bag of clothes for you in the front hall. Ma had 'em stashed away in the attic - hopefully they'll fit her. She looks like she's skin and bones, so I don't know . . ."

Nancy smiled appreciatively, "I'm sure they'll be better than what she has, which isn't a whole lot," she glanced curiously over at the group of kids sitting by the side of the stage, "Quite a few of the kids here tonight," she commented, "Must not be any good movies on this week.

Jazz just smiled, "Yea, guess so . . . Ready to get started?"

The two women headed up to the stage and set up, while Murdock wandered back and sat down with Face and Amy, quickly taking possession of Jonny, and visiting quietly.

Jazz smiled at Nancy, her eyes twinkling, "Want to try somethin' different tonite . . . maybe somethin' from Matchbox20 like, Stop or You're so Real?"

Nancy looked at Jazz uncertainly, "I thought we decided we couldn't make those work . . . they have too much percussion and backup instrumental and vocal."

"Well, that's true," Jazz said, motioning off-stage, "But I think we may have a fix for that . . ."

A group of kids from the floor came running up on stage, huge grins on their faces. Nancy watched them assemble behind her, and looked at Jazz, "What's going on here?"

"Just go with it . . . Let's try You're So Real ," she suggested, "The kids really like that one."

"I've never done that one – I don't know the music." Nancy said uncertainly.

Jazz smiled, and took her guitar, "That's OK, you know the words, right?" Nancy nodded, "OK, then just sing."

Nancy turned back to the front, feeling at a loss without her guitar. Liza was playing the bass, and Nancy started singing rather tentatively:

Yes I am

I hope you think you read me

Hope I start talking crazy

Before you understand me

Are we thru, you think that I'm beneath you

But you like the things that I do

Wrap them up and take them with you . . .

She practically jumped off the stage in surprise when the music started. Looking back she missed her next cue. Jazz stopped the kids, "Nan, are you gonna sing?" The kids were laughing.

Nancy nodded dazedly, "Yea, yea . . . I just can't believe the sound, it's incredible! Not sure I can compete with that kind of backup."

"Just belt it out, like I know you can," Jazz said chidingly. She raised an eyebrow, as Nancy continued to look back at the assembled kids, "Whenever you're ready, Nan . . ."

Nancy nodded dumbly and Liza started the bass line again. She managed to get all her cues, and by the time they were into the second verse, she was getting comfortable:

_Yes I am_

_I hope you think you read me_

_Hope I start talking crazy_

_Before you understand me_

_Are we thru, you think that I'm beneath you_

_But you like the things that I do_

_Wrap them up and take them with you_

_I'm alright_

_Hope I can sleep for one night_

_If not to cool my insides_

_Maybe to calm my back side_

_Shame on me_

_Rain on me_

_I got a weakness in me_

_I think that weakness feeds me_

_I don't think you think you need me_

_Sunshine, you're the best time_

_I ever, ever had_

_But I think I made you feel bad._

_Black fly, on your neck tie, _

_Time after time . . . _

_But when the sun starts sinking on your beautiful soul_

_Make you cry, cry baby, make you feel so cold_

_Don't you know it's alright, sometimes you just got to show how you feel_

_'Cause that's you, baby_

_Yea, you're so real._

_Run this round in your head_

_Like you don't know what's on the inside_

_You don't know me too well_

_You ain't seen my bad side_

_Shame on me_

_Shame on the things that I'd be_

_If you could complicate me_

_If you could get inside me._

_Sometimes, you're the best time_

_I've ever, ever known_

_A handsome boy with a wicked smile on_

_But I've cried for the last time_

_Somethin' just don't feel right._

_But when the sun starts sinking on your beautiful soul_

_Make you cry, cry baby, make you feel so cold_

_Don't you know it's alright, sometimes you just got to show how you feel_

_'Cause that's you, baby_

_Yea, you're so real . . ._

_You always know just who you are_

_You never needed someone else_

_To realize yourself_

_But when the sun starts sinking on your beautiful soul_

_Make you cry, cry baby, make you feel so cold_

_Don't you know it's alright, sometimes you just got to show how you feel_

_'Cause that's you, baby_

_Yea, you're so real._

_Yea, baby, you're so real._

_Yea, baby, you're so real, so real, so real_

_Oh, oh yea, yea, yea_

_You're so real!_

When the song was over the reaction from the gathered people was enthusiastic, and Nancy turned around and clapped, too, "You guys sound terrific!" she said excitedly.

They practiced a few more songs that the kids had worked on. After about half an hour, the kids had exhausted the songs they had ready, and Nancy was getting hoarse.

While they were practicing, Murdock managed to snag Callie from Terra, and walked around with her, introducing her to the folks she hadn't met already.

They took a break, and Nancy and Jazz talked with the kids briefly before they took off to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Nancy looked at Jazz wonderingly, "When did you do that?"

Jazz grinned happily, "Well, a bunch of the kids were hangin' out one day while I was giving lessons, and they wanted to know why we weren't doing some of the songs they'd heard us try, like You're so Real, and I told them it was because we didn't have the backup to make that kind of music sound right. That got 'em to thinking, and they asked if I'd work with them so they could do the backup."

Nancy shook her head in wonder, "They were terrific, Jazz . . . But unfortunately, I don't think they'll all fit in Charlie's, not to mention that they probably shouldn't be hangin' out at a bar . . ."

"Well, actually, we kinda figured those songs would be for that benefit concert we talked about having here at the Center," Jazz said, "I think Charlie will have to make due with just us."

Nancy grinned, "Sounds like a plan . . .," she said, "Unfortunately, I'm not sure I'm up to it – I feel like I've been through a heck of a work out, and that was only a half hour . . ."

Jazz chuckled, "You also have two babies crowding your diaphragm – give it some time. We won't be ready to do the benefit for awhile, anyway."

"Definitely experiencing a crowded diaphragm, bladder, and various other internal organs," Nancy agreed with a rueful smile. She turned as Terra, with Callie in tow once again, came walking up, "What's up, girls?"

Callie seemed hesitant to say anything, but Terra had never been shy, "A bunch of the kids are goin' down the block to see a movie . . . Can Callie and I go, too?"

Jazz smiled, "You can go, as long as the movie's out and you're back here by 11. Callie will have to get permission from Nancy."

Callie looked at Nancy, "Can I go Nancy?"

Nancy looked at Callie uncertainly, Terra saw the hesitation, and took Nancy's arm, "Please, Nan, I promise I'll look after her . . . And we'll be back by 11, just like Mom said."

Nancy chuckled, and relented, "I guess it's OK," she said turning to Callie, her expression stern, "as long as you promise to stick with Terra," she motioned over towards Murdock, "Go hit HM up for some money for the movie and some popcorn and pop."

Callie's face lit up and she jumped up and down, "Thank you Nancy!" she and Terra said in unison, then they ran across the room to Murdock who glanced over at Nancy questioningly. At Nancy's affirmative nod, he pulled his wallet out and handed them some money, with a smile and a wave.

He walked over to Nancy, "You did say they could go to the movies, right?"

"You know how Terra is," she responded with a little laugh, "She doesn't take 'no' for an answer!"

Callie and Terra settled in adjacent seats at the cinema, eating a large bucket of popcorn and drinking pop.

Callie considered Terra for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Hey, Terra, how long have you known Nancy and HM?"

"Oh, I've known HM for 4, no, 5 . . . or is it 6 years . . . somethin' like that. I was kinda young when he moved here," she looked pensive, "And I've known Nan for a little over three years, ever since she and HM started seein' each other. Gram and me even went to their wedding!"

Callie looked at her quizzically, "Your Mom didn't go?"

Terra shrugged, her expression closed, "Mom wasn't around then . . ." she said vaguely, then brightened, "You shoulda seen the wedding – HM and Nan and Face and Amy. They had all kindsa flowers and Nan and Amy were dressed in these beautiful gowns . . . I didn't really know anybody but HM then, but it was a really nice wedding."

"Sounds neat, wish I coulda seen it," Callie said, then looked sideways at Terra, "So, like, what are they like?"

Terra smiled, "They're cool, Cal," she said certainly, "HM's a real trip, he's always doin' somethin' crazy. Trust me, he's a blast, you'll never be bored with him around. Nan's kinda quiet, 'specially compared to HM, but she's . . .," Terra paused, tipping her head to the side, "she's neat. She's tough, not mean like, but cool under pressure, you know . . ."

The lights in the theater dimmed, and Terra looked up then turned to Callie and said earnestly, "Listen, Cal, you got nothin' to worry about with HM and Nancy – if they say they'll take care of you, they will."

Callie sighed, and hunched down in her chair, "I hope you're right." She said quietly.

A little after 9:30 pm, Jazz looked up towards the door and a broad smile lit her face. They finished the song they were playing, and Jazz looked over at Nancy, "How about we take a break?"

Nancy nodded and watched with a smile as Jazz hurried down the steps. She followed at a more leisurely pace, walking over to where her husband was sitting with her father, Face and Amy. Murdock looked up quizzically, "Kinda early for a break, isn't it?"

Nancy dropped into the chair next to him, and shrugged, watching as Jazz greeted the most recent arrival to the gathering. Murdock followed her gaze, and grimaced, "Oh, great, Katt is here."

Nancy crossed her arms and looked at him through narrowed eyes, "You're never happy where he's concerned," she chastised, "You were the one that suggested he and Jazz go out . . ."

"I beg to differ," Murdock corrected, "I suggested he get a girl friend, preferably one from Timbuktu . . . actually you're the one that introduced him to Jazz . . . and since they started seeing each other, he's around even more then before."

Amy chuckled, "Honestly, HM, you need to lighten up. I think Brett and Jazz make a great couple."

Nancy nodded agreement, "I just hope it works out," she glanced over at the couple standing arm in arm and talking, "Brett can be a bit . . . difficult."

"You know, dear," Carl said, remembering the night he first met Brett, and the argument between Brett and Nancy that ensued, "Jazz's frame of reference is a little different then yours. She probably appreciates his protectiveness."

"Yes, Jazz has been pretty tolerant of the overprotective act," Nancy agreed with a shrug, "It was one of the things that used to really bug me sometimes."

"C'mon, Nan," Face said, laughing, "You practically beg for it. You can't seem to keep your nose clean even when you're supposedly behaving. You need a keeper."

Nancy grimaced at Face, "Don't you start, Templeton. I don't need a keeper," she said irritably, then she smiled impishly, "I just need the cavalry to come in and get me out of trouble every once in a while – not move in."

Murdock was watching his wife shrewdly, "So, you dumped Brett because he was overprotective?" this revelation had him a little alarmed, as he tended towards the overprotective side himself, especially lately.

"No, I wouldn't say that, necessarily," Nancy said evasively, adding quietly, "There was no one, defining reason, really, and it's all ancient history, anyway . . . it really isn't important."

Murdock slumped back in his chair, a brooding look on his face, "So it wasn't the overprotective thing – I just want to be clear. Because I don't want to end up in the same boat."

Nancy sighed and turned to look at him, shaking her head, "I love you, HM," she said, "and you really don't have to worry about 'ending up in the same boat' . . .," her look turned mischievous, " because I'm not letting you off that easy!"

Jazz was motioning to Nancy from the stage, and she leaned in and gave Murdock a warm kiss, "Please stop obsessing about it," she said quietly, looking him in the eye before turning and heading up on stage.

Jazz looked at Nancy curiously as she walked up the steps, "What's wrong?"

Nancy shook her head, "HM is getting weird about Brett, again. He just can't seem to let it go that Brett and I used to date," she looked up at Jazz questioningly, "It was such a long time ago, what difference does it make now?"

Jazz pursed her lips, "Well, I don't know, but I would guess that he can't quite figure out how he got so lucky that you and Brett didn't stay together," she said quietly, "I know that I feel that way . . . sometimes."

"Jazz, there's nothing but friendship between me and Brett . . ."

She smiled, "I know, but I just wonder sometimes, what if . . . I mean how would I feel if you were footloose. I'd probably worry that Brett wasn't going to hang around," she shrugged, "I'm not saying it's reasonable, it's just . . . you know, there and it makes a person think about what if's."

Nancy wasn't sure how to respond. The fact that HM wasn't alone made her wonder what other people saw between her and Brett.

"Why don't you just explain to HM what happened between you and Brett," Jazz said, as her gaze wandered out to where Brett was standing. He was talking to Leslie Jenkins, who had just arrived. Jazz sighed, "And while you're at it, you can clue me in. Might make us both feel better about . . . everything."

Nancy's fingers were picking agitatedly at the strings on her guitar, "It's not that easy, Jazz. It's kinda . . . complicated," she realized Jazz wasn't really paying attention to her reply and followed her gaze out to where Brett and Leslie were laughing and talking, their shoulders brushing occasionally.

Nancy put her guitar down, "I need just a few more minutes, Jazz, I need to talk to Les – I'll be right back," Jazz nodded acknowledgment absently as Nancy started down the stairs.

Murdock sighed as Nancy walked away, and Face shook his head, "Why can't you just let it go, man?" he asked, "Nancy's your wife, not Brett's. Let him play the jealous act."

Murdock sat forward, "It doesn't seem strange to you that they didn't stay together?" he asked, quietly, then turned to Carl, "Maybe you could shed some light on it . . ."

Carl shook his head, "'Fraid not. I just met Brett a few months ago myself. Don't know anything about him . . . or them."

"You just met him?" Murdock asked in surprise, "I thought they'd known each other for, like 10 years . . . and I get the impression that the relationship was quite a while ago . . ."

"Sorry, HM, I really can't help you," Carl said, looking a bit consternated by the inconsistency himself – his daughter had always confided in him, so the fact that he hadn't ever met Brett did seem strange.

"Curiouser, and curiouser," Murdock said.

Amy shook her head, "You're just driving yourself crazy about nothing, Murdock," she chastised, "Nancy's not going to leave you for Brett – whatever was there is over. Just let it go."

Murdock sighed as he watched his wife walk over to where Brett was standing, talking to Les Jenkins, "I know I should, but I can't," he said, almost to himself, "There something more there that I need to know."

Nancy walked straight over to Les and Brett, "Hey, Leslie, can I talk to you for a minute . . ."

Les smiled warmly at Brett and squeezed his arm, "I'll see ya later, Brett."

Nancy nodded curtly to Brett as she took Leslie's arm and steered her out of the room, "What's up, Nan? I don't really have anything new on Juanita Temple right now – I just stopped by to say 'hi'."

They were standing out in the entry hall, alone, and Nancy turned to Les, her arms crossed, "What's going on with you and Brett?"

Les crossed her arms, too, but she didn't look defensive, just uncomfortable. It was a full minute before she replied, "Nan, you gotta believe me, I never meant it to go this far . . .,"

"Shit, I knew that look . . .," Nancy said, her irritation apparent, "How long?"

"Couple weeks, is all," Les said quietly, "It started out innocently enough, we ran into each other at Mabel's and ended up grabbing a bite to eat together. One thing led to another . . . I thought it would just end up being a one-night stand, but it's developed into more. Brett's supposed to talk to Jazz about it . . . I know she's your friend . . . Nan, I'm really sorry."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Nancy said angrily, but at Les' crestfallen face, she relented, "It's OK, Les, these things happen . . . I guess. But Jazz needs to know – the longer it goes on the worse it'll be for her."

Les nodded in agreement, "I told Brett the same thing. He said he'd take care of it tonight . . . that's really why I stopped . . . to remind him of that."

"Let's just hope he doesn't wimp out," Nancy said dejectedly.

Callie and Terra returned promptly at 11, just as Nancy and Jazz were packing up from their regular practice. The two girls had apparently become fast friends already.

"Mom, can Callie come spend the night?" Terra asked, as Nancy and Jazz came down off the stage. Most everyone else had already left, and Murdock came walking up from behind, trailing after the girls.

But Nancy was shaking her head, "I don't think so, Terra, Not tonight. We have to be at the hospital at 8 for visiting hours, and I don't want Callie to miss them - Jack would be too disappointed."

"Besides, you have school tomorrow, young lady," Jazz said to Terra.

Callie was nodding agreement, "I didn't even think of that," she said thoughtfully, "Maybe after Jack is out of the hospital?" she ventured tentatively.

Nancy smiled, "We'll have to wait and see - I'd say it's definitely a possibility."

They said their goodnights and headed home. In the car, Callie talked non-stop about the evening, and the movie. Once in the house, Murdock turned to Callie, "Whoa, there, Strawberry, you need to settle down, it's late. Head on up to your room and jump into bed - we got an early morning ahead of us tomorrow."

Callie was rapidly loosing steam, having had a very full day, "OK, g'night HM, 'night Nan - see ya in the morning."

Nancy watched as she headed upstairs, then flopped on the couch, "Jeez . . . I feel like I've been running all day."

Murdock sat down next to her, "You have been running all day . . . And by all rights you should be exhausted."

Nancy sighed, "I am, but I need to wind down . . . Wanna watch some TV before we head to bed?"

Murdock shook his head, "Not tonight, Short Cake, 4am is gonna come way too soon as it is."

Nanacy grimaced, "I forgot you still had rooster duty . . . Tomorrow's your last day, right?"

"Yep, then I'll have three weeks off. Not too bad, really."

He yawned and stretched, "I'm goin' on up to bed . . . You gonna come?"

Nancy glanced into the front room, where her home office was set up, "I don't think I can sleep right now . . . Maybe I'll work on some correspondence. That can put me to sleep first thing in the morning after a mug of coffee!"

Murdock didn't look too happy with the idea, but knew it wouldn't do any good to argue with her, "OK, just don't stay up too late," he admonished. He leaned down and gave her a kiss goodnight, then went upstairs. Nancy watched him go, then headed into the front room and turned on her computer to start work.

Nightmares

A little after 1am, Nancy headed up to bed. She poked her head into Callie's room to check on her, knocking into the rocking chair. To her surprise Callie lifted the covers, "Nancy?" she asked tentatively.

"What are you doing still awake?" Nancy asked quietly, moving into the room a little, and pushing the rocking chair off to the side.

Callie sat up, "I was asleep, but I had a nightmare . . ."

Nancy sat down on the edge of the bed, "Wanna talk about it . . . Sometimes that helps."

Callie's eyes were wide, and she seemed to consider the offer, finally she started talking hesitantly, "Jack came home from the hospital, and Sherry came and said that you could only keep one of us, but not both, and you decided to keep Jack, and they sent me back to my Mom and she was livin' with this guy that was greasy an' kinda scary, and he kept tellin' me that if I wasn't good he'd beat me and they made me do all the housework and cookin' and when I made Mickey Mouse pancakes one morning they yelled at me and tol' me they weren't babies and that was a bad thing to do and the guy grabbed me by my neck and started draggin' me back to the bedroom and I was kickin' and screamin' and askin' Mom to help me but she was too coked up to realize what was goin' on. He tied me up to the bed and I knew he was gonna start beatin' on me . . . then I woke up when you opened the door," Callie had talked faster and faster, until she got to the end, her voice starting to catch when she talked about her mother.

She stopped, breathing hard, the nightmare obviously still very real in her head. Nancy reached out, and smoothed her hair gently, and Callie hesitated only a moment before leaning into Nancy's arms and sobbing, "You wouldn't get rid a me an' keep Jack, would ya, Nan? I promise I'll be good and I can do housework and whatever you want, just please let me stay here."

Nancy smoothed the girl's hair, "Shhh, Cal – it was just a dream. Of course we wouldn't keep Jack and get rid of you. That's just silly," they sat together for a few moments, until Callie quieted down.

Callie sat back and looked at Nancy, "Does that mean that Jack and I can both stay here?" she asked hopefully.

Nancy ran a hand down along her cheek and held her chin, looking seriously into her eyes, "Honey, I'd love to tell you that you and Jack could stay here forever, but I'm afraid that that will not be up to me," when Callie started to protest, Nancy held up her hand, "But, that doesn't mean that HM and I won't do everything that we can to try and make it so you can stay here, at least for awhile - and at the very least, I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you and Jack are not separated under any circumstances, just like I promised. Do you understand?"

Callie nodded, still wide-eyed. Nancy stood, and laid her down, tucking the covers under her chin, "You really need to get some sleep, Sweetheart - please don't worry about what's going to happen, let HM and I handle that - that's what having those adults around is good for," Nancy leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Goodnight, Strawberry, and from now on, only sweet dreams - OK?"

Callie nodded, her eyes already beginning to droop, but she woke suddenly and grabbed Nancy's hand, holding it tight and saying urgently, "Please sit with me until I fall asleep . . ."

Nancy smiled and sat back down on the edge of the bed, patting Callie's hand, and then smoothing her hair back from her face again, "I won't go anywhere, Cal - now go to sleep."

About half an hour later, Nancy slipped out of Callie's room and went into her bedroom, silently stripping down to her underwear, and slipping on a nightshirt, before crawling into bed next to Murdock.

Murdock rolled over and put his arms around her, mumbling, "What time is it?"

Nancy glanced at the clock, "1:45 - now go back to sleep. You've gotta be up in a couple hours."

He propped up on an elbow and looked at her critically, "I told you not to stay up too late," he said quietly.

"Callie had a nightmare - I've been in her room for the last little bit," Nancy said in explanation.

"Is she OK?"

Nancy sighed, pulling Murdock's arms tighter around herself, and soaking in his warmth as he settled next to her, "I think she'll be OK - I think she'd feel a lot better if she knew what was going to happen with her and Jack - I know I would."

Murdock kissed his wife's cheek, "Nobody knows for sure what's gonna happen in their life, Short Cake - but I'm sure what's comin' has to be better than what's been, 'specially for those two."

Nancy gazed wide-eyed out the window, "I certainly hope so," she said quietly, but there aren't any guarantees, she thought ruefully. A thought that caused her to lie awake for sometime after Murdock had fallen back to sleep.


	3. Part 3

Children's Services

Murdock woke when the alarm went off, turned it off immediately and rolled over, looking at Nancy thoughtfully. Even after she'd come to bed, he knew she hadn't slept well. She had another nightmare last night – they seemed to be getting more frequent, and intense. It was starting to really worry him. But at least for now, she seemed to be resting quietly, and the alarm hadn't awakened her.

He slipped out of bed, grabbed his pile of clean clothes, and headed out into the hall. He poked his head into Callie's room, and saw that she, too, seemed to be sleeping peacefully now. Then he went downstairs and got into the shower.

Once he was showered and dressed, he walked through the dining room, the blinking light on the answering machine catching his eye. He walked over and punched the button, "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Murdock, this is Sherry Evanston, with Children's Services. I'd like to set up an appointment with you, preferably this afternoon, to discuss the situation with Callie and Jack Temple. Dr. Lyons indicated that Callie is staying with you at the moment, and while I appreciate your initiative, we really do need to get back to the books and make sure that everything is done according to procedure. Please give me a call as soon as possible. I am in the office until 5pm." Ms. Evanston then left her phone number.

A second message, also from Ms. Evanston, followed, "Mr. and Mrs. Murdock, this is Sherry Evanston again, from Children's Services, it's almost 6 and I still haven't heard from you. I really must insist on a meeting as soon as possible. I have your address from Dr. Lyons - I will stop by at 8am sharp in the morning so that we can discuss the children's situation, unless I hear otherwise from you. Again, if you need to contact me, please call my office and leave a message," and she left the number, again.

Murdock was sitting at the dining room table, and had dutifully marked down the phone number. He deleted both messages, then picked up the phone and dialed Ms. Evanston's office number, "Hello, Ms. Evanston, this is HM Murdock. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, I must have missed your call yesterday afternoon, and we didn't get in until late last night, and I didn't check messages until this morning. We will be at the hospital at 8am with Callie to visit Jack. If you'd like to meet us there, please feel free. Jack was in room 223, though it would probably be a good idea to check at the front desk to make sure he hasn't been moved out of ICU. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me on my cell phone," and Murdock left his number, "We look forward to seeing you."

He hung up the phone and sat looking out the window, lost in thought for several minutes. He shook his head and glanced at his watch, jumping up he went to the kitchen and went to grab a pack of pop tarts out of the cupboard. He looked curiously in the cupboard – thinking he must have been eating more of the pop tarts than usual. He could have sworn he had a box of s'mores poptarts left, they were his favorites. He sighed and grabbed a pack of strawberry poptarts and hurried out the door - he was going to be late.

He arrived at the Compound at 4:45am, walking in through the sliding door, surprised that the recruits weren't waiting for him outside. He found Hannibal sitting at the dining room table.

"Running a little late, Captain?" Hannibal asked, his tone amused.

"A little," Murdock said, "where are the recruits?"

Hannibal pointed outside, "I sent them out on their own this morning," he noticed Murdock looking longingly towards the kitchen, where the smell of coffee originated, "Why don't you grab a cup of coffee."

Murdock returned a minute later with a steaming cup of coffee, and took a seat at the table with Hannibal, "Sorry I was late . . . We got in late, and then I checked messages this morning and Children's Services had called, and I had to call them back, and I just didn't get out of the house like I usually do . . ."

Hannibal was holding up a hand, "It's OK, Murdock - it really wasn't a big deal, I was here anyways," he said, "Callie seemed to have a good time last night - she's starting to look and behave less like a street urchin and more like a little girl."

"Yea," Murdock agreed, "But I think the full transformation is going to take some time . . . And some stability," he was quiet for a minute, then said, "Hannibal, do you know anything about what Children's Services does? I mean, what are we gonna have to do to keep the kids?"

Hannibal shrugged, "That's probably something you should talk to BA and Char about - Char probably your best bet. She deals with kids from all walks, and I know she's had to make referrals to Children's Services before. She'd be able to give you an idea about what's gonna happen."

Murdock nodded, "That's a good idea . . ." he said thoughtfully, "Maybe I can catch them after visiting hours. 'Course, we may be seeing Ms. Evanston at the hospital this morning . . . You don't think they'll take Callie, do you?" his brow was creased in a worried frown.

"I don't know, Murdock," Hannibal said slowly, "but I don't think there's any point in worrying about it now. See what happens this morning."

Murdock nodded, but he still looked worried.

Hannibal sent Murdock home early, and then called BA at home, "BA, Murdock just left, apparently they have a meeting with a lady from Children's Services this morning . . . A Ms. Evanston, and he's worried about them taking Callie. Do you think there's anything we can do to make sure that doesn't happen? You and Charlotte know more about this kind of stuff than I do."

"I'll talk to Char - she's worked wi' Childen's Services quite a bit. Maybe she can help," BA said, "We'll do what we can to help, Hannibal. Nan and the crazy man are already pretty attached to them kids, huh?"

"Yea - and I don't think the rest of us will be too far behind," Hannibal said, "Do what you can, BA."

"I'm on it, Colonel."

Murdock got back to the house a little before 6am, and went upstairs to see if Nancy was awake yet. She rolled over and smiled sleepily at him when he entered the bedroom.

Glancing at the clock, she said, "It's not even 6 yet, you're back early," she yawned, "Why don't you crawl back into bed for a little bit, we don't need to get moving for another half hour or so."

"Now there's an offer I can't refuse," he said quietly, slipping off his shirt and pants. He glanced thoughtfully at the hallway door and pushed it closed and went to the dresser, pulled out a pair of shorts and put them on. Finally, he crawled into bed with Nancy.

He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead, "You should try to get a little more sleep, you came to bed awful late last ni . . . uh, actually that would be early this morning."

Nancy smiled, running a hand absently over his chest, "I feel pretty rested," she said quietly, "I slept good once I got to bed."

Murdock shook his head, "'Good' wouldn't be the word I'd choose," he said, "You had another nightmare," he added, almost accusingly.

Nancy's jaw tensed, "OK, so maybe I didn't sleep all that great, but I still feel pretty good," she said defensively, "I'm really not in the mood for a lengthy discussion about my sleeping habits . . ."

"Or lack thereof," Murdock interrupted.

Nancy closed her eyes, she knew her husband meant well, but she really didn't want to talk about the nightmares. It was her problem, and she'd work it out, she just needed some time.

Opening her eyes she said hopefully, "Can we just enjoy the quiet time we have?"

Murdock willed himself to relax, and looked at her ruefully, "Yea, I'm sorry I brought it up."

She sat up a little and looked at him, "Why are you home so early, anyway?"

"I was running late, and Hannibal went ahead and started the recruits off this morning," Murdock said, "Which reminds me, a Sherry Evanston from Children's Services called yesterday," he filled Nancy in on the messages and his call back, "So, we may be seeing her at the hospital this morning."

Nancy could feel herself tensing as Murdock related the messages, "They wouldn't just take Callie away would they?" she asked nervously.

"I don't know," Murdock said uncertainly, disturbed to hear his own fears echoed in his wife's words, "I talked to Hannibal about it this morning, he suggested talking to BA and Char. He didn't seem to think there was any reason to worry right now."

"I don't suppose there's a whole lot to do about it at this point, anyways," she said miserably, "I wish we'd thought of that last night, we could have at least talked to BA and Char and have some idea what to expect from Children's Services."

Murdock squeezed her shoulders, "Like Hannibal said, there's no point in worrying about it now – we'll just have to wait and see what happens this morning."

"I just wish I was sure they weren't going to take Callie away," she said, "We've got to tell her that Children's Services is coming, and I'd like to at least be able to tell her what's gonna happen."

"We can't always have all the answers, Nan," Murdock said soothingly, "Just like us, Strawberry will have to wait and see, at least after we meet with Children's Services, we should have a better idea of what's gonna come next."

Nancy and Murdock lay in bed talking quietly for the next several minutes about nothing in particular, until a tentative knock on the door interrupted them, "C'mon in Callie," Murdock said.

The door opened and Callie came in hesitantly, "I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Murdock swung his legs out from under the covers and sat up, "Nope, in fact we were just talkin' about gettin' up and starting breakfast."

Callie moved into the room, as Nancy sat up, leaning on Murdock's shoulders and looking at Callie in concern, "Did you sleep OK the rest of the night, Cal?"

Callie nodded, and sat down on the bed, where Murdock had patted the mattress invitingly.

"Strawberry," he started tentatively, "It sounds like Children's Services will probably be meeting us at the Hospital this morning . . ."

A slight look of panic crossed Callie's face, "Who from Children's Services?" she asked sharply.

Nancy's eyes narrowed, obviously Callie spoke from experience, "Sherry Evanston," she said, "Why, do you know her?"

Nancy sat back, looking at Callie directly. At first Callie avoided looking at her, but she finally turned, "Yea, she's our case worker."

Murdock raised an eyebrow, "How many times have you been in State care, Cal?" he asked curiously.

Callie shrugged noncommittally, and Nancy asked another question, "Callie, perhaps _you_ could tell _us_ what to expect this morning."

Callie shrugged again, "Never been stayin' with nobody before when we've ended up in custody," she said quietly, "Usually, they just grab us, take us to a state home, an' look for our _mother,_" the last word had a definitely derisive tone to it.

Nancy put a hand under Callie's chin, and forced her to look directly at her, "Callie, I want you to tell me the truth, did you and Jack run away?"

Callie jerked her chin out of Nancy's grip and spat defiantly, "Yea, we ran away, so what? It ain't the first time, and it won' be the last. My mother can't take care of us nohow, so why should we stay?"

Nancy sat back, "Callie, when Jack got so sick, why didn't you take him home?"

Callie was breathing heavily, and tears began spilling down her cheeks, "I tried," she said, standing and pacing agitatedly, "Mom was gone, the whole 'partment was empty. She even emptied our closets. She just up and left us!"

"Did you stop and talk to any of the neighbors, try to find out where your Mom was?" Murdock asked.

Callie nodded, "The super came up, said he kicked our Mom out, and we wasn' welcome either. He didn' know where she went, and didn' care," her voice was mocking, "Tol' us to get the hell out and not come back."

Callie was breathing heavily, her arms crossed, her stance defiant as she stood in front of Nancy and Murdock.

Nancy's mind was whirling with questions. Finally she asked, "Callie, how long ago did you go back to the apartment?"

Callie shrugged, "Few days ago, maybe Monday or Tuesday," she sniffled again, dropping dejectedly on the bed, "I don' know, the days were kinda runnin' together."

"How long had it been since you ran away?"

"We'd been on the street for awhile, two or three weeks," Callie said, her gaze hardening, "And Mom sure didn' look too hard for us, we wasn't even that far from the apartment."

Murdock and Nancy looked at each other worriedly. Murdock stood and stretched, trying to sort through what all of this meant, walking to the window, he looked out on the dirt road running in front of the house thoughtfully.

Callie looked from one to the other, "This don' change nothin', though. Mom left, so me and Jack need a new place to stay – you'll still let us stay here, won' you Nan? HM?" she asked desperately.

Nancy looked at Callie sympathetically, "Honey, I haven't got a clue what's gonna happen today. This changes a lot of things, and I'm sure Children's Services will want to try and find your Mom. We're just gonna have to wait and see what happens this morning."

Murdock turned from the window, "Callie you should have told us all this at the beginning," he said seriously, "We might have been able to do something to find your Mom, and avoided getting Children's Services involved at all."

Callie stood up, "Don't you get it?" she asked angrily, "I don't want to go back to my Mother. We're better off without her!"

Murdock rubbed a weary hand over his face, "It's OK Strawberry, don't s'pose there's any point in going over the 'what ifs' at this point," he looked back at her, "like Nan said, we'll have to wait and see what the morning has in store. We'll do what we can for you, but the final decisions aren't up to us."

Callie's shoulders slumped, "I know," she said despairingly, "Ms. Evanston'll probably take us to the children's home until she can find our Mom. I know you can't do nothin' about it."

Murdock smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, "We'll see if we can convince her to let you stay with us until they find your Mom," he glanced over at the clock, "I better get downstairs and get breakfast started, see you ladies in a few minutes."

He picked his clothes up from the floor and started out the door.

Callie's eyes were locked on his back, "What happened?" she asked, quietly.

Murdock turned back and looked at her curiously, "What happened where?"

Callie motioned vaguely, "Your back, it's . . . it's got scars on it, like you were in some kinda accident . . ."

Murdock stiffened, a dark look crossing his usually cheerful face, "Nothing that concerns you," he said softly, his tone stony. He turned and walked out the door without another word.

Callie looked down, then glanced back at Nancy as Murdock's footsteps faded down the stairs, "Is he OK?" she asked worriedly.

Nancy stood and smiled wanly at the girl, "He is now, Cal," she said quietly, "But it's not something he really likes to talk about. He was a prisoner of war during Vietnam."

Callie looked at Nancy, "Vietnam? Like the Memorial?"

Nancy nodded, "Yes, just like the Memorial," she said, "He and Hannibal and Face and BA served together in Vietnam. Their unit was captured and they spent several months in a prisoner of war camp towards the end of the war, and they weren't treated very well."

Callie sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Nancy curiously as she moved around the room, gathering clothes to change into, "What did they do to them?"

Nancy carefully folded the shirt she was holding and laid it on top of the pile of clothes she had gathered. Murdock had never really talked about what had happened, though she could guess some of it. Hannibal had told her a few things, but none of the guys really wanted to discuss the war, let alone the POW camp. She turned to Callie, "It was really bad stuff, Cal."

She picked up her clothes, and turned towards the door, "Have you picked out some clothes to wear today? Terra had quite a pile for you, hopefully something fits. Why don't you go get dressed?"

Callie stood up uncertainly, "I'm sorry, Nan, I didn't mean to make HM mad . . ."

Nancy smiled, "You didn't make him mad, Cal," she said reassuringly, "You just reminded him of things he'd rather forget. He's probably over it already! Now go get dressed so we can eat breakfast and go see Jack."

By the time they got downstairs, Murdock did seem to be pretty much back to normal. He had scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast ready for breakfast. They ate in the dining room this morning. An overcast night had turned into a drizzly morning, and it was looking like the rain might last all day.

Missing Links

They took two vehicles into the hospital again, after breakfast, and this time Callie rode with Murdock.

As they pulled out of the drive, Murdock broached a subject that had been nagging at him, "Callie, why did you and Jack run away?"

Callie's lips formed a thin line, "Why wouldn't you tell me where you got those scars on your back?" she countered.

Murdock stiffened, but considered the question seriously. The POW camp had been a long time ago, and he had learned to cope with what had happened there, but that didn't mean it was something he wanted to talk about.

"I don't know, Strawberry," he said slowly, "Guess I just don't like to talk about it."

Callie turned and looked at him, her gaze steady, "And I don't like to talk about why Jack and I run away," she said flatly.

Murdock glanced at her, and nodded his head, "Fair enough," he said, "but if you ever decide that you wanna talk about it, I'd really like to know. And I'd like to try and help if I can."

Callie considered the offer, "OK," she said thoughtfully, "Same goes for you."

Murdock grinned, "Deal."

They road in silence for a few minutes, then Murdock smiled broadly, "Hey, Strawberry, do you know why elephants paint their toenails red?"

Callie looked at him with a curious expression, "Huh?"

"Why do elephants paint their toenails red?"

Callie shrugged, "Don't know . . ."

"To hide in strawberry patches."

"That's stupid," Callie said.

"Yea," Murdock said challengingly, "Have you ever seen an elephant in a strawberry patch?"

"No . . ."

"See how well it works?" Murdock said triumphantly.

Callie looked at him, trying to suppress a smile, then she suddenly started laughing, and Murdock joined her. He told silly jokes the rest of the way to the hospital, and had Callie laughing until she cried by the time they arrived. Nancy was a few minutes behind them, but they waited for her in the parking lot, and they all went up to Jack's room together.

Visiting hours passed quickly. Jack was obviously feeling much better. Dr. Lyons stopped by around 9, and told them that Jack would be moving to a regular room the next day. At 10, with visiting hours coming to a close, Jack begged them not to go, but Callie told him that the Doc had said he had to get his rest.

Nancy glanced around as they left, "Ms. Evanston didn't show up, wonder if we should call her office and set another appointment?"

"I'll call as soon as we're out of the hospital," Murdock said.

Once in the parking lot, Nancy settled Callie in the front seat of the bug, listening to music while Murdock pulled out his cell phone to call Ms. Evanston's office. She answered on the first ring, "Sherry Evanston, Children's Services, how can I help you?"

"Hello, Ms. Evanston, this is HM Murdock, I was calling . . ."

Ms. Evanston interrupted him, "Mr. Murdock, where were you this morning – I stopped by your house but there was no one home."

"I'm sorry, I left you a message early this morning," Murdock said apologetically, "we brought Callie to the hospital at 8 for visiting hours. I wondered if you'd gotten the message when you didn't come to the hospital."

"Oh," Ms. Evanston said flatly, "Well, I checked my voice mail first thing this morning, but there weren't any messages, so I assumed that the meeting would occur at your home at 8."

Murdock allowed the unspoken accusation to lie, trying not to come to any premature opinions about the woman on the other end of the line, "Message must be in the voice mail twilight zone," he said, trying to laugh it off, "We're just leaving the hospital now, would it be better for you if we stopped by your office?"

"That would probably be for the best. I assume that both you and your wife can come, and please bring Callie. We really need to get things moving in the official channels, if you understand what I mean. This is all very irregular."

"Well, if you'll give me some directions, we can leave directly from here," Murdock offered.

"Very well," Ms. Evanston said, and provided succinct instructions on getting from the hospital to her office building, "If you tell the receptionist that you're in to see me, she'll ring me and I'll come and get you in the lobby. It should only take you about 20 minutes from the hospital. You can park in the garage next door.

"Thanks," Murdock said, "We'll see you in about 25 minutes then."

Murdock pushed the end button and shoved the phone in his pocket, "Well, she didn't get my message this morning," he said, turning to Nancy who was leaning against the front of her bug, in the parking space adjacent to his truck, "She wants us to come to the office right away . . . we need to 'get things moving in the official channels, if you understand what I mean. This is all very irregular.'"

Nancy raised an eyebrow at her husband's imitation of the woman's voice, "She sounds like a peach, can't wait to meet her," she said, glancing in the window at Callie, who was singing along to a Bonnie Raitt song on the tape player, "Think she's going to cause us problems?"

Murdock sighed, pulling the door to the truck open, "Oh, you can probably bet on it . . . I guess you can just follow me, she said the office was about 20 minutes from here."

Nancy gave him a kiss, "Alright, just take it easy and try not to lose me," she said with a smile.

Nee opened the bedroom door promptly at 10:30 and nudged Cuttey awake without a word. He rolled over and smiled lewdly at her, grabbing her arm when she turned to leave and pulling her roughly down onto the bed. She didn't resist and she didn't struggle, lying there limply, which just aggravated him. He smacked her across the face, trying to get some reaction, but she still just laid there. Finally, he rolled off of her in disgust, "You're just fucking useless," he said irritably, walking out of the bedroom.

Nee rolled over on her side, listening to Cuttey move around the apartment. When she heard the door open and close, she reached under the bed and pulled out the cigar box, sitting up on the edge of the bed. But when she opened the box it was empty. Cuttey had found a new hiding place for his money stash. She flung the box across the small bedroom in frustration, then dropped her head in her hands and cried.

First Encounter

With traffic, it took them a little longer than 20 minutes to reach Children's Services offices. Callie became quieter as they approached the building, and seemed to withdraw the closer they got to the lobby. They checked in with the receptionist, who told them to take a seat, Ms. Evanston would be down to collect them in a few minutes.

Murdock sat down next to Callie, who hadn't said a word since they'd entered the building, and was now sitting like a statue, staring blankly into space.

He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, trying to catch Callie's gaze, "You OK Strawberry?"

Callie nodded mutely, as Nancy sat down next to Murdock. Nancy rubbed Murdock's back, and he leaned back, putting a hand on her knee, "Yea, I'm feelin' real good about this," he hissed.

Ms. Evanston came down about 5 minutes later. She was a tall, thin woman, with long blond hair pulled back into a pony tail, wearing a black business suit. She smiled stiffly at them as she came into the lobby, "Mr. and Mrs. Murdock?"

Nancy and Murdock stood, and shook the proffered hand. Ms. Evanston then turned to Callie, "Hello, Callie, it's nice to see you again, though I do wish the circumstances were different." Callie barely acknowledged the greeting, seeming to hide behind Murdock.

Ms. Evanston seemed unperturbed by the lack of response, "Well, if you'll just follow me," she said, turning to hold the door open for them, "We'll get started."

Ms. Evanston led them through a labyrinth of cubicles, stopping briefly in her own cubicle to pick up a case file, then leading them to a conference room at the edge of the offices.

She closed the door, and motioned them to seats, opening the case file that was marked 'Temple, Juanita.'

She looked up at Callie, "So Callie, how long have you been on the street this time?" she asked, her voice cool.

Callie refused to meet her eyes, and sat looking sullenly out the window. Ms. Evanston allowed the question to hang in the air for several minutes, then repeated, "Callie, how long ago did you and Jack run away?"

"Few weeks," Callie mumbled, still not making eye contact with Ms. Evanston.

Ms. Evanston consulted the file, "I tried the last phone number I had on file for your mother, but it was disconnected. Where were you staying?"

"Don' 'member."

Ms. Evanston's mouth formed a thin line as she looked at Callie severely, "Young lady, I expect you to cooperate. Now we need to find your mother. Where were you living?"

Callie's jaw was clenched, and she steadfastly refused to look at Ms. Evanston. Nancy sat forward and looked at Callie, "Callie, tell Ms. Evanston what happened," she said encouragingly.

Callie looked at Nancy hesitantly, and Nancy smiled and nodded, and Callie told Ms. Evanston haltingly an abbreviated form of what she had told Nancy and Murdock that morning.

Ms. Evanston nodded, "And where was this apartment?"

Callie shrugged, "I can't remember the address . . . but I tol' you, Mom isn't there."

Ms. Evanston raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow and said, "I will need to confirm that, of course. What was nearby?"

Callie was quiet for a moment, her expression thoughtful, "It was near where Nan found us – few blocks away. There was a bar on the corner, and the apartment building was just a couple buildings away."

Ms. Evanston sighed heavily, "Honestly, Callie, you are not being very helpful."

Nancy leaned forward, "Callie, do you think, if we went back to the alley, you could take me to the apartment building?"

For the first time, a ghost of a smile touched her face, and she nodded, "Yea, I'm sure I could take you there – I jus' don' remember the names of the streets an' stuff."

Murdock nodded, and smiled at Callie, "That's good, Strawberry," turning to Ms. Evanston, he said brusquely, "We can get you the address shortly."

"Mr. Murdock, I'm afraid that I can't allow . . . you to just . . ." there was an insistent knocking at the door, that Ms. Evanston could no longer ignore, "Excuse me for a moment."

Murdock looked at his wife, as Ms. Evanston exited the room, "I feel like I'm in interrogation . . . next she'll be gettin' out the cigarettes," he said, his gaze distant.

Nancy grimaced at the reference, but decided to try and make light of it, "I doubt that Ms. Evanston smokes, dear, she seems too much the school marm type – you probably need to worry more about a ruler," his expression cleared, and he smiled at her.

Callie looked at Murdock and Nancy pitifully, "Can we go now?"

Murdock shook his head, looking longingly at the door, "I wish," he said under his breath, then he turned and smiled encouragingly at Callie, saying out loud, "Have faith, Strawberry, everything'll work out."

Nancy reached over and squeezed her hand, "HM's right, Cal," she said soothingly, "Everything will be OK."

Callie didn't look convinced.

Out in the hall, Ms. Evanston closed the door. Her supervisor, Carol Landry, was standing there with a curious look on her face, "Is that the Murdock's and the Temple girl?" she asked, looking in the window on the door.

"Yes . . ."

"Good, well, here are the forms for them to become foster parents," Ms. Landry handed her a stack of papers about a quarter inch thick, "Just explain what they need to fill out, and set an appointment with them to pick up the completed application."

Several expressions crossed Ms. Evanston's face, and she finally settled on shock, "These people are not approved, and they haven't been checked out for fostering, we can't allow them to just walk out of here with a child who is a ward of the state! Besides, they belong with their mother . . ."

Ms. Landry looked thoughtful, "Have you located the mother?"

"No."

"Was there a missing persons report filed with the police for the children?"

"No."

"Does Callie know where her mother is?"

"She says not . . ."

Ms. Landry interrupted, "Then by all appearances, these children have been abandoned?"

Ms. Evanston's mouth formed a thin lined, "Yes, but . . ."

"Then we will need to make arrangements for the care of these children. You know how crowded the state home is, and since Captain and Mrs. Murdock have been kind enough to take them in for the past two days, I see no reason at the current time to remove them from their care."

"But, Ms. Landry, there have been no background checks or any other in-home review of the environment that the children will be exposed to. This is highly irregular!"

Ms. Landry looked at Ms. Evanston sternly, "I have had several telephone calls from prominent local citizens over the last hour and a half, strongly encouraging me to allow the Temple children to remain with Captain and Mrs. Murdock, and I am inclined to allow that to happen based on those references," she said evenly, "The girl has had enough trauma over the last few weeks, and I feel strongly that it would be in her best interest to allow the children to stay with the Murdocks until we can find their mother."

"We can expedite their review and approval as foster parents, certainly," Ms. Evanston argued, "But Callie should not be released into their care without at least ensuring that they are competent to handle the responsibility, and will not cause more trauma to the child."

"I feel better about releasing her into the Murdock's care than some of the people that we have approved as foster parents," Ms. Landry held up a hand, as Ms. Evanston began to protest again, "That is the end of this discussion, Ms. Evanston. Callie and Jack Temple are to be placed into the Murdock's custody until such time as you locate their mother. That's final."

The door opened a few minutes later, and a pleasant, middle-aged woman with graying hair, dressed in slacks and a dress shirt walked in, followed by a sullen-looking Ms. Evanston.

The newcomer smiled warmly at Nancy and Murdock and held out her hand, "Captain and Mrs. Murdock, I'm Carol Landry. I really appreciate you coming all the way down here today," she turned to Callie, "Hello, Callie, how are you doing today?"

Callie shrugged, and gave Ms. Landry a half-hearted 'hello' before lapsing into silence again.

Ms. Landry turned back to Nancy and Murdock, "As I was just telling Ms. Evanston, since we do not currently know where Callie and Jack's mother is, until we locate her, we would be most appreciative if we could leave the children in your care. We will be trying to locate their mother, but until such time as we do, I see no reason why the children shouldn't remain in your custody, if that's agreeable to you."

"We'd be more than happy to take care of the kids until you can make permanent arrangements," Nancy said in relief.

Murdock agreed, "We were wondering what we would need to do in order to make that possible."

Ms. Landry smiled, "Ms. Evanston has some paperwork we'll need to have you complete for our files, to officially add you to our foster parent roll, but it shouldn't be a problem," she shook their hands once again, "And I'll leave you to it. Ms. Evanston, if you'll explain the paperwork needed to the Murdock's, I don't see any reason to take up any more of their time than necessary. Thanks, again," and with that she backed out of the door, closing it behind her.

Ms. Evanston looked after her supervisor with a disgruntled expression that wasn't lost on either Nancy or Murdock, who looked at each other, silently communicating their mutual concern over Ms. Evanston's frame of mind.

Ms. Evanston moved to the table and sat down, as the door closed behind Ms. Landry, "Well, I suppose we might as well get this over with," she slapped the papers on the table, "I've been _instructed_ to show you what needs to be filled out, but the forms really are quite self-explanatory. I will need to know when I can come by your home, for an in-home review, and to pick up the completed paperwork," she pushed the pile of papers over to Nancy and Murdock and looked at them shrewdly, "I will need these forms back as soon as possible – In fact, I'd really like to make arrangements to come to your home to pick up the paperwork tomorrow."

Murdock was flipping through the many sheets of instructions and forms, "It's going to take some time to fill this out . . ."

Nancy was beginning to feel more than a little uneasy about Ms. Evanston's definite antagonism towards them, and decided to try a conciliatory tack, "Certainly, Ms. Evanston, we'll complete the application right away, and you can stop by the house tomorrow, perhaps late afternoon, and pick it up. If that's OK with you?"

Ms. Evanston opened her appointment book, "My only free time is at 2pm tomorrow afternoon," she said haughtily, "I'll be at your home promptly at that time, please make sure you're both there, with Callie, and be sure that the application is filled out accurately and completely," she was making a notation in her calendar as she spoke, then stood, looking at Nancy and Murdock severely, "Understand that this is against _my_ better judgment . . ."

Murdock bristled, "You know, I'm beginning to get the impression that you don't like us, Ms. Evanston," he said scathingly, "If your judgment is so superior, then perhaps you can explain why these children ended up on the streets again, after your previous intervention?"

"Our policy is always to keep the family unit intact where possible," Ms. Evanston said primly, "Which is difficult when the children are uncooperative," she looked at Callie severely.

Murdock's temper rose, "Maybe if you bothered to find out what the root of the problem in the home was instead of worrying so much about your precious policies and procedures, these children wouldn't have been on the street to begin with."

"You have no idea what I have done to help these children . . ." Ms. Evanston began to sputter.

Nancy stood, looking at both her husband and Ms. Evanston, "That's about enough," she said firmly, her hands clenched at her side, "This is neither the time nor place for this discussion, especially not with Callie in the room. Ms. Evanston, I have told you that we will complete the application forms, as you requested. We will see you tomorrow afternoon, at 2pm at our home. If there is nothing further constructive to be said, then I think it's time we were going."

Ms. Evanston took a deep breath, "Very well, I will see you tomorrow, promptly at 2pm. Please make sure that everything is in order and ready for submission."

She stood, her cheeks still red with anger, "I trust you can show yourselves out. Good day, _Captain_ and Mrs. Murdock," and with that she turned and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"That went just swimmingly," Nancy said wearily.

Murdock stood and glared at the closed door. He took a deep calming breath, and looked at Callie, whose eyes were wide, "Sorry about that Strawberry," he said repentantly, "Guess I kinda lost my cool."

Callie nodded, "S'OK, HM, she makes me feel the same way!"

Nancy sighed, "That may be, but it isn't helping anyone to become antagonistic about it. She's just trying to do her job, and I think she does have the children's best interests at heart."

"You really think she's got a heart?" Murdock snorted, making Callie's face break out in the first real smile since she'd arrived at Children's Services.

But Nancy gave him a stern look, and he immediately looked repentant, "Sorry, Short Cake, guess she brings out the worst in me," he looked over at Callie who was still grinning, and smiled back conspiratorially, trying to lighten the mood, "At least we can go now, eh Strawberry!"

Callie agreed enthusiastically, "Yeah!"

Nancy sighed, "Let's get out of here before you two cause any more trouble."

As they were leaving, Ms. Landry caught them in the hallway, "Captain and Mrs. Murdock, I trust everything was satisfactory after I left?"

Nancy grimaced, but put on a smile as she turned towards the woman, "Yes, just fine, Ms. Landry. We really do appreciate that you're going to allow Callie to stay with us, even though we aren't officially foster parents."

Ms. Landry nodded, "Well, you both came highly recommended, so I'm sure there should be no problem with the application – it's just a technicality. I hope Ms. Evanston adequately answered any questions that you had about the process."

Nancy gave Murdock a warning glance. Ms. Landry caught the look and sighed, "Really, Sherry is very good at her job, but she can sometime get a bee in her bonnet when things aren't going strictly according to procedure," she said, almost to herself, "Is there anything that I can answer for you?"

Murdock held out the pile of instructions and forms, "Ms. Evanston said the paperwork was self-explanatory – I'm sure we can figure it out. She said she'd be by tomorrow at 2 to conduct a, ah, an in-home review and to pick up the application. I'm sure she'll answer any questions we have then."

"Well, that's a very quick turn-around," Ms. Landry said in surprise, "But I suppose it is best to get the process complete, so that everything is official. Sherry will make sure everything is by the books. I hope the timing won't be a problem for you . . . the forms are quite extensive. If it is, I can speak with Ms. Evanston about giving you a couple more days . . ."

"We'll do our best to get everything ready by tomorrow," Murdock said, then continued tongue in cheek, "We wouldn't want you to find anything _irregular_ in our application."

Nancy glanced sharply at her husband, she felt like they were treading thin ice here as it was. Ms. Landry at least seemed at be an ally, and they didn't need to be alienating her.

"Yes, we'll make every effort to make sure that the forms are complete and accurate, and we'll have them ready for Ms. Evanston tomorrow afternoon, as promised," she glanced at her watch, "We really should be going, those forms aren't going to complete themselves!"

Ms. Landry smiled, "Thanks again, and if you have any questions, please feel free to call Ms. Evanston or myself, we'll be glad to answer them."

She waved casually as Nancy, Murdock and Callie moved off down the hall.

You Go This Way

The trio remained silent until they got out to the car. Callie settled into the bug, with the music on, while Nancy said to Murdock, "I think I'll take Callie by the alley, and see if we can locate the apartment they were staying at. I'd like to have a peace offering for Ms. Evanston when she comes tomorrow afternoon."

"She's a self-righteous, holier-than-thou biddy," he mumbled irritably, "what do you want to make peace with her for?"

"HM, she could make or break us as far as fostering Callie and Jack goes – we need to find a way to get back in her good graces, whether you like her or not."

"I know . . . you're right . . .," he leaned over and gave her a kiss, "I promise to behave from now on."

Nancy smiled, squeezing his hand affectionately, "You'll try . . . I know it's hard, but we've got to do what we can to make sure that Callie and Jack are taken care of . . . and alienating their case worker is going to make that difficult."

He nodded, "Well, while you're trying to sort out where they were staying, I'll see if I can get hold of BA and Char – maybe they can help us wade through all this," he held up the stack of papers, "See you at the Compound, around lunch time?"

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, reaching up for another kiss, "We'll be there in time for lunch . . . I may see if we can get any leads on their Mom's where-abouts while we're at the apartment," she added, almost to herself as she turned to walk around the bug to the driver's side.

Murdock smiled after his wife affectionately, "You just can't resist a puzzle to solve, can you?"

Nancy looked up over the bug, and said seriously, "Aren't you curious why she just took off, apparently without even trying to find the kids?"

Murdock nodded ruefully, "Yea, I'm curious," he said, "but I hope the reason isn't something that's gonna hurt them more than they're already hurt."

Nancy looked in the window at Callie, who was singing along with Bonnie Raitt again and looked for all intents and purposes like any other pre-teenage girl. She sighed, her expression thoughtful, "Yea, they've been through enough," she agreed, "but unfortunately nothing can be resolved until we find their Mom."

Nancy pulled out of the parking garage and beeped the horn, waving at Murdock out the back window, as he headed in the opposite direction. Callie looked at Nancy curiously, "Where're we goin'?"

"We're going to the alley – we promised Ms. Evanston we'd get her that address. Maybe we can get a line on where your Mom is in the process."

Callie slumped in her seat, "I don' wanna find my Mom . . . I want to stay with you 'n HM."

Nancy sighed, glancing at Callie briefly, before replying, "Callie, you have to understand that you can't just decide that you don't want to live with your Mom. She's your legal guardian, whether you like it or not."

"But she left us!"

"I know, but you don't know why she left like she did. Maybe she had a good reason. Until we find her, we can't figure that out."

Callie pouted, "I don't care why she left, she did – and without even looking for us. I hate her – I wish she were dead, then it wouldn't matter."

"Callie, don't say things like that – you know you don't mean it," Nancy said sharply.

Callie looked at Nancy narrowly, then turned pointedly, and looked out the window, effectively cutting off any additional discussion.

Murdock parked in front of the Langley Community Center, and went into the office, where Charlotte was busy with administrative matters. She looked up and smiled warmly at Murdock, motioning for him to come in and sit down, "Hi, HM, how did things go this morning?"

Murdock pursed his lips thoughtfully, "OK, I guess," he said uncertainly, "We didn't exactly hit it off with the case worker . . ."

Char's smile faded, "Did Callie have to stay there?"

"No, but the case worker wasn't wild about letting her go with us."

"Was it Sherry Evanston?" she asked curiously.

"Yea, how did you know?" Murdock asked in surprise.

Char chuckled, "Well, Hannibal called early this morning, and filled us in on your phone calls from Children's Services . . . and your concerns. I called and talked to Carol Landry this morning to get the scoop – she said she'd take care of it. They're always short on foster families, especially for multiple children. So I figured if you got a couple unsolicited references, it would be easy for her to justify leaving Callie with you."

Murdock nodded, now understanding what had happened that morning, "Well, Ms. Landry was more than helpful. But I'm afraid Ms. Evanston didn't take real well to stepping outside standard procedure."

Char nodded, "Now that I could see . . . Sherry's always been very cordial and helpful when I've worked with her, but then I do usually do things by the book. I have to in my position."

Murdock sighed, "Well, I'm afraid I didn't exactly handle the whole thing real well," he said honestly, "I should know that it's always better in those situations to let Nan do the talking. She controls her temper better than I do," he briefly related the events of the morning. During his recitation, BA came in, so he started at the beginning, so they could both hear the whole thing.

"Fool never do know when to keep his mouth shut," BA said, shaking his head.

Char looked at BA knowingly, "I don't know, BA, I think if you'd been in HM's position you would have lost your temper, too," she smiled consolingly at Murdock, "Anyways, what's done is done. Nan's right, at this point we're going to have to work on damage control. Do you have the foster parent application forms?"

Murdock nodded, "Out in the truck," he said, "Actually that's why I stopped, I was hoping maybe you could help us fill them out. We don't have a whole lot of time to get everything pulled together. Nan was gonna see if she could track down any leads on the mother, then meet me at the Compound around lunch . . ."

There was a knock at the door, and a powerfully built young man with black hair and surprisingly light golden eyes stuck his head in, "'Scuse me . . . I hate to interrupt, but I'm runnin' late . . ."

Murdock turned and raised a hand in greeting, "Hey, Ethan – come on in. I gotta get goin' anyway," he stood and turned the seat to the young man, "How's the Chevy comin'?"

"Pretty much done, huh BA?" he said uncertainly,

Charlotte stood as well, "I'll walk you out, HM."

"Just 'bout, little brother," BA agreed, "I'll be over later with Char, Murdock - I kin keep Callie busy while ya work on filling the forms out."

BA motioned Ethan to a chair, turning as the door closed behind Murdock and Char, "What's wrong, Ethan? You ain't been yourself lately . . ."

Murdock glanced back, then looked at Char in concern, "Is something wrong? Usually Ethan's really stoked about that old car he and BA have been working on . . ."

Char shook her head sadly, "Ever since Ethan's Gram died, he just hasn't been the same."

"Been there," Murdock said, almost to himself, then looked at Char ruefully, "It'll just take him some time to adjust."

Char looked at Murdock with interest, "I remember BA sayin' somethin' about your grandparents – they died when you were, what, 18?"

"Yea, somethin' like that," he said noncommittally.

"Guess you probably understand better then anybody what Ethan's goin' through. I just hope we don't lose him. Happens too often. His Gram insisted that those kids keep their noses clean. Now that that influence is gone, I hope he doesn't lose his way. He tends to have a bit of a wild streak in him."

"Yea, but his Gram did her job," Murdock said certainly, "He may make mistakes, but he knows right from wrong. He'll be alright."

"Listen, HM, I have a few things to finish up here, but I'll be at the Compound as soon as I'm finished," Char said, "I'll do what I can to help you sort through the red tape."

"Thanks, Char," Murdock said, smiling gratefully, "It means an awful lot to me and Nan . . . and the kids."

Inside the office, BA felt like he was losing Ethan Johnson, "Listen, E, we'll git your family some help – you can't leave the program when you this close. This apprenticeship is your future."

"Listen, BA, I know you mean well. But I found a good job," Ethan said, adding conciliatorily, "It's just 'til Lu is graduated from high school. She's got good grades, but workin' the diner is too much. I want her to be able to concentrate on school, or she'll never get a scholarship. And you and I both know that's the only way she's ever gonna get to go to college."

"But it doesn't have to be at the expense of your education, Ethan," BA said sharply, "We can find a way so that it can all happen, just give me a little time. We'll find you a job that won't force you to quit your schooling."

Ethan stood, "I got a job, BA," he said firmly, glancing at his watch, "And I gotta get to it."

"C'mon, E, let's try to find another way . . ."

"I'll see ya 'round, BA."

Nancy pulled up three blocks down from the juice bar where everything had started less than two days ago. She turned off the ignition, and turned to Callie, "Why don't we walk from here, and you can show me where you were living with your Mom."

Callie nodded mutely, her face still stoney, and got out of the car. She led Nancy silently down the street another block, turned east, walked another four blocks, where a bar, called Moonlight Inn was located on the southeast corner.

"There's the bar," Callie stated flatly, she crossed the road, turned south and crossed the road again. Nancy noted the name of the street as they went by – Maple Avenue, amusing considering there wasn't a tree in sight. Callie continued on, walking past the bar, and the next building, to an old brownstone, with bars on the windows, and graffiti on the door, "This is it."

Nancy looked up, noting the number, 1535. She looked at Callie, "Which floor did you live on?"

"Fourth," Callie said, "In 402. Super lives on the first floor."

Nancy nodded, and put a hand at the small of Callie's back, guiding her towards the steps, "I'd like to have a word with him," she said quietly.

At the airfield, Murdock walked into the hangar, to find Steve with a line of 3 people waiting for some help. He jumped in and in about 20 minutes they had everyone taken care of.

"Been busy like that all morning," Steve said, as the last person headed out the door, "I'm kinda glad to see you, actually. Do you think I could take off a little early today?"

Murdock felt his heart drop, "Well, I was actually hopin' you might stay late . . . but if you gotta go . . ."

"Sorry, man, but I gotta get to the store, we have two clerks off sick today, and Dad's about ready to have a cow. I really need to get over there ASAP," Steve was already headed towards the door, "I'll be in tomorrow, as far as I know, but I may be a little late. See ya, Murdock."

"Yea, uh, bye," Murdock said absently, looking at the stack of papers on the desk, and glancing in at the growing stack of bills and invoicing to be done in the office. He was beginning to think he needed to get some full-time help around here, but his more immediate problem was finding someone to handle things today so he could get to the Compound.

He picked up the phone and dialed, "Facey, man, I need some help," he said urgently, "I'm s'posed to be at the Compound by noon, and my help at the airfield just took off. Any ideas?"

Face sat back, looking reflectively into space, "I don't know, Murdock," he said thoughtfully, "Do they need to know anything about flying?"

"Not really flying, per se," Murdock said uncertainly, "I need somebody that can handle filing flight plans, field incoming customer stuff, answer the phone, man the radio, that sort of thing . . . hang on a minute," Murdock turned and answered a call on the radio, then turned back to the phone, "So I guess, yea, I kinda do need somebody with some airfield experience."

Amy had come downstairs with Jonny in tow, "Who's on the phone?" she asked.

"It's Murdock, he needs somebody to fill in at the airfield," Face said to Amy, then spoke into the phone, "I can't think of anybody right off . . ."

"What about one of the other pilots that fly out of the airfield, could they help?" Amy suggested.

Murdock heard the suggestion over the phone, "Most of the folks that fly outta here got full time jobs . . ." he said, mentally going over the regular customers, and trying to think who might be available on short notice – unfortunately no one came to mind.

Face laughed, "Yea, well so did you when you bought into the place," he said, "Tell you what, I'll make a few phone calls and see if I can scare anybody up, but I'm not promising anything."

"Thanks, Face, I really appreciate it," Murdock said and rang off.

He tapped his fingers on the desk top, then called the Martins, Trixie and Joe knew more people in the Langley area, maybe they could recommend someone that could help out.

At the building superintendent's door, Nancy rang the bell, and smiled down at Callie who was shuffling her feet nervously, "Would you rather wait outside for me, Cal?"

Callie shook her head, "No, I wanna stay here with you . . . it's just that he wasn't very nice the last time I saw him . . ."

Nancy nodded in understanding, and said, "Tell you what, why don't you stand over by the door and wait for me . . . he probably won't see you there, and you won't have to see him."

Callie moved off gratefully down the hall, sitting on an upside-down bucket by the door.

The superintendent's door opened a couple inches just as Callie moved out of sight, catching on the chain, "Yea?"

All Nancy could see of the guy was half an unshaven face, but she smiled winningly, "Are you the building superintendent here?"

"Yea, that's me, do you need a room pretty lady?" he smiled widely at her, and Nancy grimaced inwardly at the gold teeth displayed.

Nancy held out her card, which the man took, but didn't really look at, "I'm Nancy Murdock, and I had a few questions I wanted to ask about one of your tenants. Do you have a few moments? I promise this won't take long," Her smile still in place, Nancy took a step back, hoping that the entire conversation wouldn't have to take place through the crack in the door.

The man looked at her curiously, then shrugged, "Yea, guess it couldn't hurt to answer a few questions, just a minute."

He closed the door, and Nancy heard the chain sliding, then the door opened wide, and a man, about Nancy's age, held out a hand, "I'm Larry Young," he was smiling at her warmly, then his eyes moved down and took in her swollen belly, and the smile cooled a few degrees, "Who is it you wanna know about?"

"A woman who lived in room 402 with her two kids," Nancy said, she pulled a blank notebook out and pretended to check some nonexistent notes, "last name Temple, I believe the first name was Juanita. This is the last known address I have for her."

"Sure, I knew her," he said, "She was evicted a couple weeks ago, her and that deadbeat boyfriend of hers."

Nancy nodded, "Did she leave a forwarding address?"

"Naw, man, she was a drifter," he said, "Shoulda known better than to rent to her in the first place. Her and those two kids o' hers didn't have no references, but I kinda felt sorry for 'em when they showed up so I let 'em have the place."

"How long had they lived here?"

"Mmm, 'bout 8, 10 months, less than a year," he said thoughtfully, "Not bad tenants at first, quiet, paid the rent, usually on time. Then this guy started hangin' around. After that things went down hill."

"Who was the guy?" Nancy asked curiously.

"Don't believe we was ever introduced, she an' I weren't that close," Young said, "he was a squirrelly kinda guy, I wouldn't of trusted him as far as I could spit."

"What did he look like?"

"Like I said, squirrelly, short dude, maybe a little taller than you, with brown hair all slicked back into a pony tail. Had a pencil mustache, nothin' real memorable, know what I mean? Guy had a chip on his shoulder, though – little but kinda scary."

"Did he have any distinguishing features, tattoos, earrings, scars, anything like that?" Nancy asked hopefully.

"Yea, yea," Young said, "He had a tattoo on his upper arm – some kinda weird skull and cross bones thing."

Nancy made a note, "So what happened after this guy showed up that was so bad?"

"He wasn't so quiet, and he had some pretty scary customers come visiting. Told me the place was a dump, not worth the rent I charged," he said irritably, "Didn't have a clue what it takes to keep a place like this up – our rates are real reasonable. Last straw was when he refused to pay the rent because their toilet was plugged up. I ain't no damn plumber – if the tenant is gonna let the kids throw shit down the toilet they can damn well fix it themselves, and I tol' him so. Told him if he wasn't happy, he could leave. So they did."

"You said you _evicted_ her about two weeks ago . . ."

"Evicted, kicked out, whatever – they left and I say good riddance!" Young said defensively.

Nancy nodded and continued, "So Juanita and the kids left with the guy about two weeks ago?"

"You know, the kids wasn't there," he said uneasily, "But, yea it was about two weeks ago - I 'member them loading all her stuff into his car."

"Have you seen any of them since then?"

Young shifted uneasily, "Naw, I ain't seen any of 'em."

Nancy paused for a moment, watching Young's face with interest. Even if she hadn't known for a fact that he was lying she would have been able to tell – every expression screamed it.

"Ok, well, what did the car look like?"

"Blue Nova, I'd say late 70's, but I ain't that good with cars," Young said.

"Did Juanita have a job?"

Young shrugged, "Don't know, she didn't keep no regular hours that I ever noticed . . ."

Nancy looked at him curiously, "You mean she didn't list a place of employment on her rental application?"

He shrugged, his eyes shifting away from her face, "Naw, like I said I felt sorry for her and them kids, so I, uh, I cut 'em some slack."

"Generous of you," Nancy said slowly, somehow she had a feeling that Mr. Young took rental payments in many different forms, "How about other friends or family that visited her regularly?"

"Listen lady . . . uh, Nancy, I tol' ya, I didn't know her that well. She kept to herself, paid her rent regularly, at first. She lived here until she and that boyfriend of hers became a problem, then I kicked her out."

"You don't play poker, do you Mr. Young?" Nancy asked dryly.

"Huh?"

She smiled and flipped her notebook shut, "Never mind - have you rented the apartment yet?"

"No, but I got somebody movin' in next week," he said, "Still gotta clean the place up . . . they left in a hurry, and they left one hell of a mess."

"Mind if I have a look around?"

"No skin off my nose," he said, "let me get my keys."

While Young went to get the keys, Nancy stepped around and caught Callie's attention, "We're going up to the apartment – follow us," Callie nodded in comprehension.

Young came back out a minute later, "They was on the 4th floor, sorry, the elevator don't work, so we'll have to take the stairs," he said leading the way.

On the fourth floor he stopped outside room 402 and opened the door, allowing it to swing in and made a face at the smell, "Like I said they left one hell of a mess . . ." he said, backing away from the door with a hand up at his nose, "It's all yours – you can open a window to air the place out if ya want."

He moved past her towards the stairs and stopped short, "Hey, you, I thought I told you not to come back here," he started moving threateningly toward Callie, who was cowering on the stairs.

Nancy reached out and grabbed his arm, "She's with me," she said quietly, then turned to Callie, "Come on up, Cal, it's alright."

Young's eyes flashed, "What kinda game you playin', lady?" he asked accusingly, jerking his arm out of her grasp, "I should kick you outta here right now," he moved to close the apartment door.

Nancy stepped in front of him and smiled coolly, "You're the one playing games, Mr. Young," she said, adding warningly, her tone stopping him in his tracks, "I also know that you turned these kids away when they came looking for their mom – the police could be convinced to look at that as child endangerment," she held his eye with a steady gaze.

Young stepped back, "How'd I know they weren't sent back by their ma to rip me off . . ." he said, his tone still cocky.

Nancy glanced in the door, "There's nothing here worth stealing," she said caustically, then looked back at him, saying in a more conciliatory tone, "Look, I just want to take a quick look around – I won't make any trouble for you about the kids."

Young's eyes narrowed, "Fine, look around all you want," he turned and started down the stairs, "Make sure you lock up before you leave . . . and if anything's missin', I'll send the bill to the address on your card."

Nancy turned a deaf ear on the last comment, turning and walking into the apartment with Callie trailing behind. First she went to the window and opened it wide, allowing a cold breeze to move through the apartment and making the smell tolerable. The main living area was in a bit of disarray, with empty boxes lying about haphazardly. It didn't even appear that Juanita had taken the time to pack up all of her belongings. There were a couple of the boxes that she had obviously started to pack, but never finished, and had left where they were sitting. Nancy picked through one such box on the kitchen table, but found only some chipped dishes, a pan with a broken handle, and a bunch of the cheap plastic cups. The trash in the kitchen had been emptied, and the cupboards were bare.

She looked up and saw Callie wandering into a room just off the living room, and turned to follow her. The room Callie walked into had obviously been hers and Jack's – there was a twin bed on either wall, with a narrow walkway between. The walls were decorated with pictures that the kids had made. Callie glanced around, then brushed past Nancy, moving back into the main living area. Nancy reached up and took down one of the pictures nearby. Jack had apparently drawn it, and it showed three stick figures with big smiles in an odd-looking airplane. Nancy took it off the wall, Jack's 'chanted' airplane – and it looked like he was taking his Mom with him. Nancy folded it and stuck it in her purse. She took a quick look around the basically empty room, before following Callie back into the living room.

There was really nothing of interest in either the living room or kitchen, so Nancy moved into the next bedroom, which was obviously where Juanita had slept. There was a full bed in the room, with mismatched, scarred tables on either side, holding old lamps with no shades. Callie followed her into the room, and wandered around, while Nancy stooped and picked up a small trash can beside the bed. She dumped the contents of the trash can on the bed, picking through crumpled Kleenex and scraps of paper looking for a clue to Juanita's whereabouts.

Near the bottom of the pile, she found a sheet of paper with a phone number on it, with no other identifying information, and shoved it into her purse with the picture. Finding nothing else of interest, she turned and moved around the room. She pulled out a pen light and looked under the bed, hoping to find something more enlightening, but was disappointed.

As she stood, she saw Callie come out of the closet, "Anything interesting in there?" she asked.

Callie shrugged, "Jus' some old stuff Ma didn't even bother to pack up and take," she said, then screwed up her face, "It reeks in here – I'm goin' back out in the living room."

Nancy watched her leave, then walked over and stuck her head in the closet, to see what Callie had found. She found a bunch of old school papers of the kids in a shoebox, along with some pictures of Juanita and the kids. She could definitely see the resemblance between mother and daughter. Juanita was a beautiful woman, with dark wavy hair and warm brown eyes. Nancy picked up the box and shoved the lid on, sticking it under her arm.

Next she stopped in the bathroom, and glanced around. The toilet was still plugged, which explained the ammonia odor that permeated the apartment. Since Nancy knew the kids had been gone for at least 3 weeks, they certainly weren't the ones who had thrown something down the toilet. Nancy sighed, her curiosity wasn't going to allow her to ignore it. She set the box down on the sink and leaned over the toilet, which was clogged mostly with toilet paper. Picking up the plunger sitting next to it, she turned it so that she was holding it by the plunger end and started pulling toilet paper out of the bowl and dumping it in the trash can. Soon there was mostly liquid in the bowl and she could see down into the drain where something appeared to be lodged in another wad of toilet paper. She poked at it with the plunger, but couldn't dislodge it and finally gave up and reached in with a grimace, pulling it out with her hand.

She held it up in the dim light – it was a pregnancy test, not unlike the one she had used to find out she was pregnant with the twins and that HM had carried around for a week, despite her protests. She looked at the indicator window, which showed a positive result. Well, Juanita must be pregnant, and apparently afraid that someone else was going to find out. She dropped the test into the trash can and washed her hands thoroughly in the sink, before heading back out to the living room to join Callie.

Callie was standing by the door when Nancy came out, "Can we go now?" she asked impatiently.

Nancy looked at Callie piercingly, "Callie, who was your Mom's boyfriend?"

Callie studiously avoided her gaze. Nancy crossed her arms, "Callie look at me, I need you to help me out. What was his name?"

"Cuttey," Callie said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Is he why you and Jack ran away?"

Callie looked up, and nodded mutely. Nancy could see the fear reflected in her wide brown eyes – her mother's eyes.

"Did Cuttey hurt you and Jack?"

Callie shrugged, licked her lips uncertainly, and said, "He usually ignored us, if we was quiet and stayed out of the way – tol' Mom we was nothin' but a pain in the ass and that she should give us up for 'doption."

"Callie, why are you so afraid of him?" Nancy asked directly.

Callie seemed to consider the question for a few minutes, "Whenever we'd get in the way, he and Mom would fight, and he'd . . ." Callie paused, her eyes becoming unfocused, "He would . . . get mean."

Nancy could see the fear in Callie's eyes, and decided not to push the issue any further, "Callie, you know you're safe, now. You don't have to be afraid of him any more," she said comfortingly.

Callie looked at Nancy, her eyes reflecting doubt, "Can we please, just get out of here – it smells awful."

Nancy nodded, "Yea, it does," she started towards the door, "let's go."

Callie glanced back, "Shouldn't we close the window . . ."

"I think we'd be doing Mr. Young a favor leaving it open," Nancy said with a grimace.

To the Rescue

Joe Martin came walking into the airfield with a tall, thin man with a hawkish nose, big watery blue eyes, and a generous mouth that was grinning widely. He walked up to the counter, where Murdock was just finishing up with another customer, and waited patiently, while his companion fidgeted nervously beside him.

Murdock looked over as the customer walked away, "Joe, boy am I glad to see you!"

Joe grinned, "Glad to be able to help, HM," turning to the man beside him, he started the introduction, "This is Neil McHarty . . ."

Neil practically leapt forward, "Captain HM Murdock, it's a great pleasure to meet you, sir," he said enthusiastically, pumping Murdock's hand.

Murdock raised an eyebrow, glancing at Joe who was trying very hard not to burst into laughter, "Uh, it's nice to meet you, too, Mr. McHarty . . ."

"Oh, please, call me Neil," Neil said, still smiling broadly, "It's such an honor to get to help out a fellow veteran, especially someone such as yourself. Youngest member ever in the Flying Tigers, distinguished career with Air Command, Special Forces, Medal of Honor, Purple Heart . . . oh, I know your career well."

Murdock looked more than a little shocked, and Joe smiled, "Yea, guess you could say Neil, here, is a big fan of yours, HM," he said, "He works at Dulles as an air traffic controller, but he called in sick today when he heard that you needed a hand."

"Certainly, anything that I can do to help," Neil said, moving around the desk and checking out the radio and shuffling through the stack of flight plans, "Of course this is a lot different than working at Dulles, but I'm sure I can get the hang of it. If you'll just tell me what needs to be handled while you're out . . ."

Callie was silent for sometime after they left the apartment, but she finally started shaking it off when Nancy put in one of her Barenaked Ladies tapes. They were both singing loudly to _Life in a Nutshell_ when they arrived at the Compound right around noon, and walked in to find just about everyone there, except Murdock.

BA came over as soon as they came in, "Hey little sister, wanna head out back and shoot some hoops?"

Callie nodded, "Sure, but I gotta, you know, go, first," she looked at Nancy askently.

Nancy pointed down the hall, saying "Last door on the left, Cal," as she hurried away Nancy looked up a BA gratefully, "Thanks for occupying her this afternoon, BA. She's had a pretty lousy morning, and could definitely use some distraction."

BA smiled at Nancy encouragingly, "Kids can bounce back from jus' about anythin', Nan. Don't you worry about her or the little man – they'll be jus' fine."

Nancy sighed, "I hope you're right, because I'm afraid the worst isn't over yet."

BA squeezed Nancy's shoulder affectionately with one of his big hands without a word, conveying comfort and support in the simple gesture. Nancy smiled at him, "Thanks, BA, really."

"Hang tough, little mama," he said quietly, turning to lead Callie outside as she came bouncing back out to the living room. Nancy followed them out on the back deck, watching as they headed out to the basketball court, marveling at how protective she felt towards two children that she'd only known for two days.

As she turned to head back inside she caught sight of the recruits finishing up on the obstacle course and heading into the gym. They waved and called 'hello' as they jogged by, and Nancy returned the greetings. They were a great group, and she was proud of how well the new team program was coming along. It had been a real group effort to get the program going, and they were beginning to see the fruits of the labor.

Inside, she noticed that her husband was still absent, "So, anybody know where HM is?"

"Steve had to get to the store, so Murdock's been scrambling to find someone to cover the airfield this afternoon," Face explained, "I stopped by and picked up the papers. He said he'd be here as soon as Joe showed up, apparently he knew someone who could help."

Nancy sighed, "Doc couldn't have chosen a worse time to go on an extended vacation," she said as she walked to the dining room and dropped into a chair next to Charlotte at the table.

Char looked up, "Where did Doc go?"

"Cruise to Alaska . . . for _six weeks_," Nancy said shaking her head. She sat forward and looked numbly at the papers spread out across the table, "So, how bad is this going to be?"

Char smiled, "Where is that eternal optimist?" she asked teasingly.

Nancy dropped her chin into her hand, "You must be mistaking me for Murdock."

"It's not so bad, Nan," Char said, "I have the application separated into sections, so we can expedite completing the forms. I think we'll be able to make fairly short work of it."

"Think we'll have it done in time for our meeting tomorrow at 2?"

"Without a doubt," Char said confidently.

"That's good, because I didn't make any progress with finding the mother," adding almost to herself, "and part of me doesn't want to." She continued more loudly, "There weren't a whole lot of leads at the apartment. I need some kind of peace offering for Sherry Evanston."

"Yea, HM said he didn't make a very good first impression with her," Char said. Looking around the table, she chose a stack of papers and handed them to Nancy along with a pen, "Here's the detail information on you that will be needed – I filled out the top with your name, but you'll need to complete the rest. I have a similar stack for HM. I'll complete the general information, and I was going to have Hannibal and your Dad work on the references section. I really don't think it will take long."

Nancy took the stack and picked up a pen, "Thanks a load, Char," she said sincerely, "I think I was beginning to really psych myself out over this whole application thing."

It took Murdock about 20 minutes to go over everything with Neil. Then he spent another 10 minutes repeating things, until Neil finally declared, "I'm certain I can take care of it, Captain," he snapped a smart salute, "Just leave it in my capable hands."

Murdock smiled, "I really appreciate this, Neil," he said sincerely, "Especially on such short notice."

"Anything for Howlin' Mad Murdock," Neil said, the broad smile still in place.

"Ohhh Kay," Murdock said, becoming a little uncomfortable with Neil's overt admiration, "You have my cell phone number, if you have any questions, please feel free to call. I'll only be about 15 minutes away if you need me."

"Okey dokey, Captain," Neil saluted him again, as he and Joe waved goodbye and headed towards the door.

Once out in the parking lot, Murdock looked at Joe in wonder, "Where did you find that guy?"

"Oh, I've known Neil a long time," Joe said, "He and I went to high school together, and enlisted at the same time. When he found out who the airfield belonged to, he couldn't wait to come – apparently you crossed his path in 'Nam and he became a groupie."

Murdock grimaced, "Obviously didn't know me too well," he said ruefully, "If he knew the truth, I'm afraid he'd be sorely disappointed." Joe knew the stories, he and Murdock had become good friends since Murdock had married Joe's wife's best friend.

Joe shrugged, "Nobody's perfect, HM," he said, "Seems to me you were always pretty impressive in the air – it was just on the ground you had issues."

Murdock chuckled, "You got that right," he agreed, "anyway, I'm just glad he could come on such short notice," glancing at his watch, he wrenched open the truck door, "And, I'll only be a little late getting to the Compound. Thanks a million, Joe."

"Any time, HM," Joe said waving as Murdock took off.

Face had been working in the office, balancing the books for Stockwell Enterprises for the month. It was one of the few administrative duties Hannibal had been able to convince Nancy to delegate. He was just about finished when the phone rang. He picked it up, "Stockwell Enterprises."

"Well hello, Lieutenant," Carla said, "Seems every time I call the Compound, I get you – are you running things there or is Nancy?"

"No, I'm just the handsome male secretary that all women dream of having," Face said smoothly, "I assume you want to talk to Nancy."

"If she's _there_," Carla said critically, "Her uncle would like to speak to her."

"Just a moment," Face said calmly, "I'll get her."

He put the call on hold and walked leisurely out to the dining room. It was no wonder Nancy got so testy every time Carla called, Face thought to himself. Wouldn't hurt her to be taken down a few notches. He couldn't believe that the General would let her talk about or to his own niece that way. But then there were a lot of things about Stockwell that Face just couldn't figure out.

"Hey, Nan, it's Carla on line two. She said you're Uncle wants to talk to you."

Nancy put the pen down on the partially completed paperwork in front of her, "Thanks, Face," she said, walking down the hall, "I'll take it back in the office."

Face looked over at Hannibal as Nancy disappeared down the hall, "Boy, that's a call that's going to put Nancy in a grand mood," he said, then looked at his watch, "And she's taking it on an empty stomach, too. You know, it's way past time for lunch, Colonel."

Carl sat back from the table, "Definitely getting to be time for a break," he said in agreement, "This application asks for as much information on the references as the applicants. Lawyer must have developed them."

"Takes one to know one," Hannibal said with a chuckle. He stood from the table, "I'll give Maggie a call and see if she can bring us some pizzas."

As Hannibal was hanging up from talking to Maggie, Murdock came running in the door, "Sorry I'm late," he said breathlessly, to no one in particular.

Char stood and handed him a stack of paper, "No problem, here's the personal forms you need to fill out. I'm going to take a walk out back and see how BA and Callie are getting along."

Hannibal looked at Carl, "If you've got things covered here for a few minutes, I'm going to the gym to check on the recruits," Carl nodded and Hannibal headed out.

Murdock took the stack, picked up a pen from the table, and went into the living room. He sat on the floor and stretched his legs under the coffee table, flipping through the application. He sighed and turned back to the first page to get started. He worked for a few minutes before looking up curiously, "Where's Nan?"

"She went back to the office to take a call from Hunt," Carl said, walking back in from the kitchen with a cup of coffee, "Hope everything's alright. I don't think she needs anymore problems to deal with right now."

"Well, I'm kinda glad he called," Murdock said, "She's been stewing about not making the trip to Houston to see him today."

Carl sat down at the table, "Even from Houston, Hunt can wield an awful lot of control," he said irritably. He had tried on numerous occasions to talk to his daughter about what was going on, but she kept shutting him out. The whole situation frustrated him.

"Tell me about it," Murdock agreed, his tone mirroring Carl's aggravation, "Just wish there was something I could do about it."

Carl looked at his son-in-law sympathetically, he knew the feeling all too well.

Sound Advice Not Taken . . . Yet

Nancy put down the phone and turned to stare out the window, looking out on the new obstacle course, and across the back of the training room addition. Her uncle had sounded so tired, she was beginning to think it had been a mistake not to make the trip to Houston today. Each time she saw him, she worried that it would be the last time.

Ironic that she had such a drive to spend time with him now, when for most of her life he had been an intermittent presence at best. It wasn't until death was at the door that he had become a daily presence, demanding attention. Loathe as she was to admit it, she loved her uncle, and was having trouble dealing with the whole issue of his mortality. He'd always seemed larger-than-life, so invincible.

She looked down, as her belly began doing its own little dance. At a time when she felt compelled to give her all, not only for her uncle at Stockwell Enterprises, but also at Adam's Investigations, she had a constant reminder that there were other pending priorities in her life besides her career. And now Callie and Jack were adding a new dimension to the family arena. Nancy wondered if they were some kind of sign.

She was getting more and more nervous about the birth of the twins. Murdock seemed so calm about the whole thing, with no doubts about being a good parent. Nancy had nothing but doubts about her parenting capabilities. And given all the other demands on her at the moment, she really wasn't sure she could handle even one more, let alone two – two little people who would be totally dependent on her for everything. It terrified her.

Maggie arrived at the Compound with several pizzas and two large tubs of antipasto salad. She walked up to the front door, her hands full, considering whether to put something down, or just kick the door with her foot and hope someone heard.

But Hannibal must have been waiting, because the door opened without a knock, "Hi, babe, thanks for the delivery services. You're just in time, the natives are getting restless."

They kissed briefly, Hannibal relieving her of the pizzas, so she had a free hand.

She could hear the low rumble of conversation in the house, "So, what's the occasion?"

"I guess it's a rally of sorts – Murdock and Nancy are trying to get the application for foster parenting done in short order. Basically, everybody just gravitated and ended up here."

Maggie chuckled, "This group always does seem to end up in a pack when things get hairy for one of them."

By now they were in the kitchen, Hannibal spread the pizzas out on the counter, and Maggie found a spot for the antipasto salad. Someone had already set out paper plates and plastic silverware. Maggie whistled, and announced, "Lunch is served."

She smiled, watching as the oddball family she had married into began descending on the food. She glanced about curiously when she realized that Murdock wasn't in line, and walked out to find him in the living room.

Maggie touched his shoulder, "HM, you should go eat."

He started, then smiled at her, "Hey, Mags, when did you get here?"

She smiled, "Just a couple minutes ago, and I brought lunch – now go eat," glancing around she asked, "Where's Nancy?"

"Carl said her uncle called," Murdock said, motioning down the hall, "She went back to the office to get some quiet to talk to him," He stood up, "I'll go get her and tell her lunch is here."

Maggie put a hand on his arm, "You go ahead and eat, I'll get Nancy."

Maggie walked down the hall, and listened at the office door, but all seemed to be quiet within. She knocked softly, and heard a muffled, "Come in."

She opened the door, as Nancy turned from the window, the younger woman smiled wanly, "Hi, Maggie, when did you get here?"

Maggie felt a rush of concern looking at Nancy. Her face was gaunt, and there were shadows under her eyes. The smile on her lips didn't quite reach her eyes, which lacked their usual spark. She stepped into the office and closed the door behind her.

"I just got here a couple minutes ago," she said moving into the room, and taking a seat across from Nancy, "I brought lunch, if you're hungry."

Nancy shrugged, "Not really all that hungry yet," she said, fiddling absently with a pen on the desk, "I should go out and help finish those forms though."

"Everyone is eating right now, so I don't think there's any rush," Maggie said, "How's your uncle? HM said he called."

Nancy looked up at Maggie, her expression carefully neutral, "He's doing as well as can be expected given the intensive chemo treatments, I guess. He had a pretty good week overall, according to Carla."

Maggie nodded, "And how are you?"

Nancy seemed surprised by the question, and momentarily dropped her guard. In that moment, Maggie could see the uncertainty and unhappiness reflected in the younger woman's eyes. Maggie sat forward, "Nancy, you know, you can talk to me about it."

The concern in Maggie's voice touched her, and Nancy hugged herself, standing and turning to look out the window again, afraid to look at Maggie for fear of totally breaking down. How was she? It was a simple enough questions, but it didn't have a simple answer. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, when she felt Maggie's hands on her shoulders. Nancy felt the tears she'd been holding back begin to spill down her cheeks. She turned into Maggie's embrace – and Maggie didn't say a word, just let her cry until the tears were spent.

When Nancy finally stepped back, she snatched angrily at the tissue box on the desk, blowing her nose, "I don't know what's wrong with me," she said disgustedly, "I'm OK, really," she dropped into the chair, grabbing more tissue and blowing her nose again.

Maggie sighed heavily, "Nancy, it's OK to let go sometimes," she said in exasperation, "Christ, sometimes you act so much like your uncle, it's frightening. I've known Hunt Stockwell for 30 years and the man never changed. He's so emotionally constipated, it's not funny."

Nancy let out a bark of laughter, sitting back in the chair and allowing herself to relax, "Guess I never thought of Uncle like that, but it sure does put into words his main problem," she said, adding almost to herself, "Guess I come by it naturally."

Maggie leaned on the desk and looked down at Nancy thoughtfully, "You've been pushing yourself awful hard lately, Nancy," she said, crossing her arms, "Something is going to have to give . . . I just hope it's not you."

Nancy's smile faded, "Now you're starting to sound like HM," she said, her tone disgruntled, "I'm fine, it's just taking a little time to adjust to . . . everything."

Maggie looked at the floor, weighing what she would say next, it was always best to be direct with Nancy, she had an uncanny way of telling when someone wasn't being upfront with her.

"Nancy, you are an incredibly intelligent young woman, but when it comes to knowing your own limits, you're an idiot," Maggie said, looking her directly in the eye, "Hannibal says you won't let go of control here at Stockwell Enterprises, you're still trying to keep up with all of your responsibilities at Adam's Investigations, which was a more than full time job to begin with, you have twins coming in December, your only uncle is critically ill and in Houston, and now you're going to take custody of two abandoned children that are going to require a good deal of attention. Now just when do you intend to take care of yourself? You need to let go of some of the responsibilities that you've taken on and accept help."

Nancy looked studiously at the desk blotter avoiding the direct gaze. She knew Maggie was right, something had to give, but what? What was she going to walk away from? None of the choices was easy, and letting go of any one of her responsibilities meant letting down the people she cared about. "It's not that easy, Mags," she said sullenly, still avoiding her gaze.

"Nancy, if you're going to be a leader, you need to learn to delegate responsibility – you can't do it all yourself. That's why you want to work with good people, and trust me – you have some of the best in your life, both personal and professional. You need to learn to take advantage of that."

"Oh, and just for the record," Maggie added, catching and holding Nancy's eyes, "Accepting help doesn't mean you're a failure."

Nancy shook her head, "How is it that you always seem to know what's going through my head, Mags?" she asked.

Maggie smiled, "Don't worry, it's not a parlor trick. You're a lot like I was at your age - different stressors but a similar response."

The two women sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Maggie stood and stepped around the desk, holding out a hand, "C'mon, let's go eat. Good decisions are never made on an empty stomach."

Nancy looked up uncertainly, and Maggie smiled, "Come on, I promise, I won't badger you anymore," she said, "I've said my piece; nobody can make your decisions for you. But if you ever need to talk about it, you know where I am."

Nancy pushed off the desk and stood up, "You know, I am kind of hungry," she said, walking around the desk. She stopped next to Maggie, and smiled, "Thanks, Maggie, really, I know you're right . . . I'll work on it."

Maggie put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed, "Seems to me 'work' is the problem," she said with a smile.

Jimmie Harrington ran a hand over the finish of the yellow cab and smiled, "Good job, guys, especially considering the short time frame," he said admiringly, "You even found a fare clock."

Ethan and Lumpy Clark stood aside and smiled at each other – they had worked all through the previous night to finish the job.

Harrington clapped Ethan on the shoulder, "I'll be keepin' an eye on you, kid – you're goin' places. There'll be a bonus in your pay this week for this job!"

Harrington looked up and his look hardened, "Looks like you got it done just in time . . ." he said, as he headed towards the entrance.

As Harrington moved away, Lumpy turned to Ethan, "Didn't I tell ya, man? This is a sweet deal. Who needs that damn certification, anyway? Baracus is full of shit."

"BA's alright," Ethan said defensively.

"Yea, whatever," Lumpy said dismissively, "You'll make good dough here, man. Like fuckin' Robin Hood, man."

Ethan looked around uneasily as Harrington came walking back, leading another man with him. His grandmother would disapprove of what they were doing here. But he was making enough money that Lu could quit her job and spend her time on her school work – and that, he knew, his grandmother would approve of.

Cuttey admired his new 'cab' from every side before turning to his old army buddy, Jimmy Harrington, "Thanks, Jim – this will do nicely. I'll tell Mr. Smith what a help you were. And here," he handed him a wad of bills, "I know it was short notice, here's a little extra from me for your trouble."

Harrington took the cash and turned to Ethan and Lumpy, who were still standing off to the side, "You two deserve the bonus, minus a cut for the house, of course," he handed part of the bills to each young man, "Now get your asses back to work."

He turned back to Cuttey, "Anything else you need, man?"

"This'll do me for now, Jimmie," Cuttey said, getting into the cab and turning it over, "I'll see ya later."

Cuttey smiled as he pulled out of the chop shop, all he needed was a cabbie license to hang from the mirror to complete the illusion. About 15 minutes later he pulled up outside one of the cab companies in town and leaned casually against the outside of another cab, until he saw his opportunity and reached in and snatched the license. He ran back to his cab and took off, heading straight for Jester's.

All there was to do now was sit and wait.

It took the rest of the afternoon to get the forms completed. About 5:00, Charlotte was going through the completed application one more time to make sure that everything was filled in, "Everyone double-checked the information on the forms – everything is accurate?" she asked in general.

Hannibal glanced around at Face, BA, and Murdock, who were generally nodding in the right direction, but didn't look so sure about the question, "Well, Char, I think the forms accurately reflect what they'll find in official records," he said with a chuckle, "that's probably about the best you're gonna get from this crew."

Murdock put his hands on Nancy's shoulders and squeezed, "We really appreciate everybody's help – we couldn't have done this without your help," he said, and Nancy nodded in agreement. Then he looked at his watch and patted her shoulders, "We're gonna have to get going if we're gonna get supper before we head to the hospital. C'mon Strawberry, let's get a move on."

Building Chanted Airplanes

They left Murdock's truck at the Compound and rode together to the hospital in the bug.

Murdock was relaxed, "That took way less time than I thought it would," he said happily, "Char was a big help."

Nancy nodded in agreement, as her glance fell on her notebook in her purse. She reached in and pulled it out, glancing briefly through her notes on Juanita Temple.

Murdock smiled at her tolerantly, then looked in the rearview mirror. Callie was sitting quietly with her arms crossed, staring out the window, "So, Strawberry, did you have fun with BA and Face this afternoon?"

Callie looked up at him and a smile played around her lips, "Yea, they're cool," her gaze turned quizzical, "Why do you call him Face, anyway? I thought his name was Templeton."

"Face is just a nickname – he's got a face to charm anyone, so we call him Faceman," he looked in the mirror and grinned conspiratorially, "Fits him, doesn't it?"

"Yea, he is cute," her cheeks colored, and she glanced away in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, kiddo," Murdock said, "You're by far not the first young woman to be taken in by Face. I'd say it's a natural reaction, huh Nan?"

Nancy looked up, "Um, yea," she turned in her seat and looked back at Callie, "Cal, where was your Mom working?"

Callie looked at Nancy, disconcerted by the sudden change of subject, "Well, she was working at that bar on the corner," a smile touched her features, "I liked it when she worked there – Will, the bartender, he was nice, used to give me and Jack fries and burgers," the smile faded, "Mom said that was just 'cause he was tryin' to get in her pants – that we shouldn't trust him."

Callie crossed her arms again, her expression becoming dark, "Then, when Cuttey came around, she quit. He said no woman of his was gonna work. Stupid," she added, "I mean, we're not s'posed to trust Will, who was nice. But Cuttey, she treated him like a king. I just don't get it."

"So your Mom was working at the Moonlight Inn?" Nancy asked, making a notation in her notebook at Callie's affirmative nod, "How long ago did she quit?"

"Few months ago," Callie said with a shrug.

"Did Cuttey work?" Nancy asked.

Callie shrugged again, "Not that I ever saw. He'd leave some mornings and not come back 'til late," a smile crossed her face, but quickly disappeared, "Jack and me used to hope he was gone for good, but he always came back. Then there were times when it seemed like he never left the apartment – those were the worst."

Nancy looked at Callie thoughtfully, "Did Cuttey have any friends you remember coming by the apartment?"

Callie shrugged, and looked out the window. Nancy sighed, again, Callie wasn't telling her everything but she was hesitant to push the subject. She flipped the notebook closed and shoved it back in her purse, "Alright, Cal, we'll drop it for now," she said quietly.

Murdock hated the silence that stretched after that, and reached down to turn on the radio, "How about some tunage?"

Callie sat forward, "How about Bonnie Raitt?" she asked hopefully.

"We need to expand your horizons," Murdock said, smiling, "How's about some Jimi?"

Nancy shook her head, sometimes Murdock's eclectic taste in music ran a little extreme for her, "How about some Moody Blues or Santana?"

"Ah, the Moody Blues," Murdock said thoughtfully, and began singing:

_Isn't life strange_

_A turn of the page_

_A book without light_

_Unless with love we write;_

_To throw it away_

_To lose just a day_

_The quicksand of time_

_You know it makes me want to cry, cry, cry_

Callie was listening raptly, "That sounds so cool – is that the Moody Blues?"

"Sure is – think you might like it?"

Callie nodded, and Nancy reached down and changed the cassette. She loved to listen to Murdock sing.

Nee opened her purse and checked her wallet. She'd managed to save just enough for bus fair to and from the old neighborhood out of the $50, after buying groceries and cigs. Now the question was, did she have the guts to go. She sat in the chair, with her purse clutched in her lap, weighing the consequences. If Cuttey found out, he'd beat her for sure, but she wasn't really sure she believed he had anyone watching the apartment. The question was, was she willing to chance it?

She opened her purse and fumbled with the cigarette pack and the lighter, taking a long drag on the cig once she had it lit. She looked at the clock – it was getting late. Probably too late to go now. She'd have to wait until tomorrow. Yes, that was decided, she'd wait and go tomorrow.

She dropped her purse in the chair, stubbed her half-smoked cigarette out in the ashtray, and dropped onto the couch, playing absently with the razor blade, splitting the coke remaining on the little mirror into various line patterns. Finally, she picked up the straw – might as well enjoy the evening.

Jack had been moved that morning into the children's ward of the hospital. When they arrived, he was sitting up at a lego table playing, and jumped up and ran to Callie when they walked in. Callie picked him up and hugged him in greeting and carried him back to the lego table with Nancy and Murdock trailing along.

Murdock sat cross-legged on the floor next to the table, and Jack broke away from a hovering Callie, grabbed something off the table and dropped into Murdock's lap, holding his creation up triumphantly.

Murdock took the jumble of lego blocks and admired it from every angle, noting the six wheels, and two extensions that looked like arms, "That's pretty cool, buddy," he said, "What is it?"

Jack smiled conspiratorially, "It's a chanted airplane," he whispered, "you said you never saw one so I builded it."

Murdock looked at the magic vehicle, then at the boy, "You know I think you got it just right, buddy – 99 imagination and 100 faith," he smiled as Jack took the toy back and flew it through the air, humming the tune that his mother had taught him.

Callie had walked over and caught Murdock's eye, "I hope it can take us somewhere where Sherry Evanston will leave us alone," she said caustically.

Jack stopped, and looked at Callie fearfully, "The Child Services lady? I don' like her. She isn't gonna take us back to the orphanage is she? I thought I got to come home with you guys?" he looked at Murdock desperately.

Murdock patted his shoulder, "Shh, buddy, it's OK. Nobody's taking you to any orphanage. As things stand right now, when you're ready to leave, you'll be comin' home with me and Nan. There's nothing to worry about."

Jack looked to his sister for confirmation. She shrugged, "Sherry didn't seem so happy 'bout it, but Ms. Landry said we could stay with HM and Nan . . . for now."

The two children looked at each other for several seconds, then Jack looked at Murdock, "But you're not going to keep us forever, are you?" he asked sadly.

Murdock glanced at his wife, who took a deep breath, put an arm around Callie's shoulders, "We need to take this process one step at a time. Let's make it so Ms. Evanston will let you stay with us as foster parents. Then we'll tackle the longer-term issues. For one thing, we have to find your mom – she's still your legal guardian."

Callie shrugged out of Nancy's arm, "I hope you don't find her, then we can stay with you."

Murdock looked at Callie sympathetically, "We've been over this, Strawberry. You know it doesn't work that way."

"Then how does it work," Callie asked angrily, "I don't want to go back with Mom. I want to stay with you. But I'll tell you what I _have_ learned. I've learned that what I want doesn't really matter. Grownups that don't give a damn about me or Jack, they're the ones that make the decisions. I'm sick of it, do you hear me, sick of it!"

She turned and ran out of the room. Nancy looked at Murdock miserably, then hurried out after her.

Jack watched Nancy follow his sister, then looked up at Murdock and saw the worry in his face. Jack smiled at him and patted his cheek, "Don't worry, HM. Callie'll be OK. We both will. I know you're doin' the best you can for us," he stood up and walked back over to the lego table, setting his chanted airplane down and starting work on some modifications. It would need to be bigger if there was going to be room for all of them.

Murdock looked after the boy, tears pricking at his eyes. Callie was right, it wasn't fair, but then he'd learned early on, probably at about Callie's age, that that was just the way life was. But it didn't mean that you didn't fight for what was right. He crawled over to Jack and ruffled the boys head. Jack grinned at him, and Murdock sat down at the lego table with him and started building his own chanted airplane. Couldn't hurt to have a backup.

Nancy found Callie sitting on the steps outside the nearest exit and sat down next to her, folding her hands in her lap. They sat silently for several minutes.

Finally Callie started speaking, her expression angry, "You seem in an awful big hurry to find Mom . . . can't wait to get rid of us, can you?" she turned and looked at Nancy through narrowed eyes.

Nancy looked at her directly, "You know that's not true, Callie," she said firmly.

Callie looked down from the direct gaze, wringing her hands nervously. When she spoke again, her voice was uncertain, "If you could, would you keep us? Forever?"

Nancy smiled tenderly at the wide brown eyes that regarded her with a mixture of fear and longing. She was surprised that she could truthfully answer the question without the least bit of hesitation, "In a heartbeat, Cal."

Callie looked at Nancy piercingly, trying to decide if she could believe her or not. Finally, she threw her arms around Nancy's neck. Nancy pulled her onto her lap, giving her a warm hug and smoothing her hair comfortingly.

After a few minutes, she took Callie's arms and held her back so she could look her in the eye, "But remember, we have to take this one step at a time, right?" Callie nodded.

"Alright, then," Nancy said, setting Callie on her feet, and standing up, "Let's head back upstairs and see what the boys are up to, shall we?" She held an inviting hand out to Callie, who took it after a moment's hesitation.

They played at the lego table for the rest of visiting hours, all four of them. Building wild machines and houses with secret rooms. By 8, they were all starting to yawn. Murdock picked Jack up and carried him to his bed. He tucked him in and handed him the 'chanted' airplane, "You know, buddy, this chanted airplane looks like it could take you anywhere you want to go, especially in your dreams."

Nancy nodded in agreement, and leaned down to kiss Jack on the forehead, "Sweet dreams of happy places, honey," she said quietly.

Nancy and Murdock stepped back while Callie said goodnight, "See ya tomorrow Jackie," she said, giving him a hug, "Love you," she whispered in his ear.

"Love you, too," he said with a smile, "see ya tomorrow."

Cuttey parked the cab down the adjacent alley and locked it. He scoped out the next alley down the street. It was empty and would work perfectly. He went into the bar at Jester's and took an inconspicuous seat at the end, ordering and eating supper, and watching the door for Ledley. About 8, Ledley walked in, waved to the bartender and headed to the back room, where the poker game would be. Cuttey took a long drag on his cigarette and made himself comfortable. The game would go until about midnight, he'd get into position at 11:30. Until then he could knock back a couple beers and relax.

Lady and Tramp

When they got home, Murdock checked the home answering machine. The only message was from Sherry Evanston, who left a curt reminder about their 2 o'clock appointment the next day. Callie's face clouded over as the message played, and Murdock hit the delete button before it even finished. He turned and looked at Callie, "What do ya think, Strawberry, wanna watch a movie?"

Callie's face cleared and she smiled and nodded, "Can we have some popcorn, too?"

"Sure thing! Facey got me one of those hot air poppers for Christmas last year," he said, as he led her into the kitchen, "let's see if I remember how to use it."

Meanwhile, Nancy listened to her business answering machine in the front office. The first message was from Stephanie. She had the final round of interviews set up for Monday afternoon. Nancy pulled out her planner and marked the times down. Riley had called to see if Stephanie had called, and Nancy had to smile. Riley still wasn't used to having a secretary, and Steph had been with them for several years, though admittedly, she'd only been full time for the last year.

Nancy and Riley had just made the final decision regarding which four candidates to invite back this afternoon, so Steph had made short work of getting the interviews set up. She was taking night classes at a local community college in accounting and bookkeeping, which was a part of the administrative work that Nancy really hated, and she sometimes even helped out with case research. She was quickly making herself indispensable.

The last message was from Les Jenkins. They had just hired Les away from LA Homicide a little less than two months ago, but she was already a valued part of Adam's Investigation. Nancy had called Les on the way to the Compound this morning and given her the telephone number that she'd found at Juanita Temple's apartment to run down.

Les hadn't let any grass grow under her feet, "Hey, Nan. It's me, Les. I tried that number you gave me . . . want any Italian take out? I'm afraid that's probably all it's for, though one interesting tidbit, the restaurant, Mi Mama's Casa, is owned by Constantino Smith. If you need anything else, let me know."

Nancy had heard of the guy, Con Smith was a small-time hood running books and drugs on the outskirts of DC. Vice probably had a file on him, maybe she'd talk to Brett and see what he could tell her about him, just for kicks. Unfortunately, it probably wasn't going to help her find Juanita Temple.

She picked up the phone and dialed Les' home phone. She answered on the first ring, "'Lo?"

"Hey, Les, how's it goin'?" Nancy asked

"Hi, Nan. Goin' OK, I guess . . . did you get my message about that phone number?"

"Yea," Nancy said, "I know it's probably a dead end, but why don't you take a quick run over there tomorrow and feel the place out. Maybe Juanita's a regular there or something. Also, there's a bar, Moonlight Inn, near where they lived on Maple – Callie said her Mom used to work there, said the bartender, guy named Will, was sweet on her. Check it out, see if it goes anywhere."

Les finished taking notes, "Anything else?"

Nancy thought for a moment, "I'm going to put in a missing persons report on Juanita with the police tomorrow – can't help to enlist more sets of eyes. It's not much, but hopefully it'll lead somewhere. Let me know what you find out."

"Will do," Les said, "I had thought about checking out the restaurant, but wasn't sure how much time you wanted me to spend on this one."

"I need to find Juanita Temple," Nancy said certainly.

Les smiled to herself, "I'll let you know what I find out."

By the time Nancy got into the kitchen, Murdock and Callie had checked in every cupboard looking for his hot air popcorn popper and still hadn't had any luck. She watched for a minute as they opened three more cupboards each, Murdock looking high and Callie looking low, then cleared her throat, "Is there something I can help you find?"

Murdock turned, "Can't find that popcorn popper – you know the one Face got me for Christmas last year . . ."

As Murdock was talking Nancy walked to the next to the last cupboard that Murdock had just opened, opened it again, and pulled the popcorn popper in question out.

Murdock looked at the popcorn popper in consternation, then tried to recover, "I knew it was there, all along – I was just trying to teach Strawberry, you know, where everything was . . . in the kitchen . . ."

Callie started giggling, "No you weren't. You looked in that cupboard at least twice already," she accused.

"Shhh . . ." Murdock said exaggeratedly, placing himself between Callie and Nancy, "Don't listen to her – she just doesn't understand my methods . . ."

Nancy chuckled, "Sweetheart – there always has been a crazy method to your madness, and I think Callie understands it far too well. Now, since you've made an extensive survey of the cupboards, do you think you could find the popcorn?" and she looked around him to Callie, "And Cal, why don't you get the butter out of the fridge. I'll get the bowls and the salt."

Soon they had a big batch of popcorn ready and were lounging on the couch in front of the TV watching Disney's _Lady and the Tramp_ on tape. About half way through the movie, Murdock declared that it was time for intermission, so they paused the tape and made chocolate milkshakes. By the time the movie was over it was almost 10 and Callie was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

Murdock grinned as Callie yawned widely, "Time to head up to bed, Strawberry."

Callie stood and turned around, then put a finger to her lips, "Shh, Nan's asleep."

Murdock looked down at Nancy and smiled, "OK – on up to bed, kiddo. I'll take care of Nan."


	4. Part 4

Night- and Day-mares

Cuttey had been in position now for over an hour, waiting for Ledley to exit Jester's. He had on black gloves, a blond wig, baseball cap pulled low over his brow, and sunglasses. He'd taken off the jacket he was wearing because it was warm, and decided that he'd leave it off.

By now all of the regular patrons and most of the restaurant staff had left to go home. The front of the restaurant was in fact dark, and looked totally closed down. He watched as another cab pulled past the alley in which he was waiting. He pulled out behind the cab, and pulled directly behind it in front of the bar. He got out of the car immediately and sidled up to the driver's side of the leading cab, waving a black-gloved hand casually, "Hey, man, how's it goin' tonight?"

The kid driving the cab was about 20 years old, with messy dish-water blond hair, and a scraggly goatee, and he jumped when Cuttey came walking up beside him. Glancing in the rear-view mirror he saw the other cab behind him and relaxed – it was just another grave-yard shift cabby, "OK, dude, how about you?"

"Better than you," Cuttey said, pulling out a small caliber pistol with a silencer and shooting the kid in the head. He pushed him over and slid behind the wheel. He pulled the cab a block ahead and down a dead-end alley. He took all the cash out of the kid's wallet and his pay bag, so it would look like a simple robbery, then hurried back to Jester's. Just another cabbie casualty, nothing new.

He had just sat down back in the cab when a group of five men came walking out of the front of the restaurant, laughing and talking loudly, Ledley was one of them.

"Here's my cab," Ledley slurred, and got in the back of the cab without a second thought, "Home, James," he said to Cuttey, laughing at his own joke.

"116 Sycamore, Sir?" Cuttey asked.

Ledley looked up blearily, "Huh, uh, yea, yea, 116 Syc-a-syc-a-a-more," he started giggling again, "Sounds like I got the hiccups . . . oh, maybe I do."

Cuttey pulled away from the curb with a satisfied smile – this was going to be easier than he thought. Ledley passed out in the back of the cab, and when they arrived at the cabin, barely woke up enough to stumble, with Cuttey's help, into the cabin, only to crash on the bed, totally oblivious to the fact that he wasn't at home. Cuttey shackled his hands, legs and neck and hooked him to the wall, then lay down in the other bed and went to sleep. Ledley wasn't going anywhere.

_She was running down a dark alley, her heart pounding in her ears, and her breath coming in rasps. She kept looking over her shoulder. She could see nothing but shadows pursuing her, but she knew they were sinister. Were they getting closer? She couldn't tell, but raw fear kept her running, even though it felt like her heart would burst from her rib cage. Up ahead she could see a light, but it wasn't getting any closer. Wouldn't anyone help her? If she squinted into the light she could see someone beckoning, but she couldn't make out who it was, because the light was behind them and was blinding her. She slowed her pace and shaded her eyes, trying to make the person out._

_A door appeared on her left and she stopped and opened it, hoping for a route of escape. When the door opened, it blocked the light from the end of the tunnel, plunging her into darkness. The smell of chloroform filled her nostrils as she struggled to remain awake. She could feel herself being swallowed up by the blackness . . ._

_Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder from behind . . ._

Nancy blindly swung a fist around, landing it squarely on Murdock's jaw. He quickly recovered and put both arms around her upper arms, talking quietly and calmly to her, "Nan, wake up, it's just a dream. Sweetheart, it's alright, just open your eyes. I'm right here . . ."

Nancy struggled for a moment, before opening her eyes and staring in panic into the darkness that still enveloped her. Slowly Murdock's calm voice penetrated the nightmare, and her breathing slowed as she leaned back against him.

Finally she turned and looked into the worried face of her husband, "Did I hurt you?"

Murdock rubbed his chin, she had clipped him pretty good, "I'm just a little bruised – no permanent damage."

Nancy sighed, "I'm sorry."

"It's OK, Short Cake," he said, pushing sweat-soaked hair out of her face, "I should know better. Are you alright?"

Nancy took a deep calming breath, "I will be," she smiled at him, sinking into his arms. It was the best therapy she could imagine – but the intensity of the nightmare still had her heart thudding against her chest.

Murdock put his arms around her protectively, "So, who was after you?"

"No one . . ." she said uncertainly, "I'm in a long tunnel and I can't really _see_ anyone . . ."

She chuckled, "Kinda cliché, isn't it – a long tunnel, and there's even a light at the end . . . but even that frightens me. It's like there's no escape. Every door . . .," she stopped, the door, the door led to a horrible memory, one she thought she'd buried with the man responsible.

Murdock kept his tone carefully neutral, "What's behind every door?"

"Bad things . . . bad . . . memories," her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What's in the light that frightens you?"

"I don't know . . .," she said, "I haven't made it there yet . . . maybe that's the point."

"What are the bad memories, Nan?" he asked gently, "Is it about your Mom?"

"No . . .," she admitted, "It's not about Mom."

Murdock was surprised, "Then what is it?"

"I . . .," she thought about what had happened, how could she explain. She couldn't even find a place to start, "I can't, HM," she said quietly.

Murdock's frustration sounded in his voice, "You can't, or you won't?"

The truth was that every time she tried to talk about it, it made her physically ill, "I _can't_."

"Why not? What is so bad you can't tell _me_?" Murdock felt like on some level he was failing her, but how could he help if he didn't know what was going on in that head of hers?

"HM, please don't do this . . .," her voice was pleading, "It's not you, it's me – I'm just not ready to talk about it."

He could hear the stress in her voice, and felt immediately sorry that he'd pushed her. She needed comfort, not accusations. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "I'm sorry, Short Cake, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I'm just not sure how to help if I don't understand what's going on."

"The best thing you can do to help is just what you've always done, HM," she said earnestly, "Just hold me."

Ledley woke up with one hell of a hangover. He couldn't seem to move anything properly, his head hurt, and the world around him was one big blur. He lay perfectly still, willing his head to stop spinning. Once his equilibrium had returned, he opened his eyes, slowly focusing on the bare bulb that hung from the ceiling. Odd, his bedroom didn't have a bare bulb in it.

He turned his head, and reached up to try and figure out why his neck hurt. He heard the rattling, just as his fingers contacted the metal of the shackle around his neck. Now he was starting to feel panicked, as he realized that the rattling was coming from chains.

Cuttey watched from the bed, smoking leisurely, waiting for Ledley to come to a full understanding of his situation. He enjoyed the dawning of terror in the man's face. This was less about pain, and more about psychology. Cuttey smiled, maybe he'd write a book. He could call this research - a study in the psychology of fear.

Forcing the Issue

Murdock woke when Nancy got out of bed a little after 6am. He looked at the clock and sighed, "C'mon, Nan, it's Saturday. Come back to bed," after a week of 4am mornings, he was looking forward to sleeping in.

Nancy buttoned her shirt quickly, "You go back to sleep," she said, leaning down to give him a quick kiss, then pulling on a pair of maternity slacks, "I've got some work to get done." She grabbed a jacket off the closet door knob, which clattered to the floor. She sighed, "You are going to fix that some day, right?" she asked, before hurrying out of the room.

"Yea, but . . ." Murdock started to protest, but Nancy was already out of sight down the stairs. He sat up on the edge of the bed and looked after her in dismay. He decided he might as well get up – sleeping in wasn't nearly as much fun alone.

When Murdock got downstairs, Nancy was in her home office in the front room, packing her briefcase. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed, "Where are you going?"

Nancy looked up, "I have to prepare for a meeting at noon," she said hurriedly.

Murdock shook his head, his expression disgruntled, "Don't you even have time for breakfast?"

Nancy zipped the overstuffed briefcase and stood, giving Murdock a harried look, "Yesterday was a total loss as far as work goes – I'm meeting with Casey today to go over some potential jobs and I haven't even reviewed the case files he gave me. Plus, we have visiting hours from 10-12, which I'll have to skip out early on as it is . . ."

"What about our meeting with Evanston?" Murdock asked sullenly, "If you aren't meeting with Casey until noon, you're gonna be pushing it to make it back in time."

Nancy grimaced, Murdock was right, she had originally scheduled the entire afternoon with Casey, "Well, I'll just have to see if Casey can meet a little earlier."

"And cut into visiting hours that much more," Murdock said, crossing his arms in irritation, "Why don't you let Zeb handle the meeting with Casey . . ."

"Zeb's overloaded as it is," Nancy said absently.

"And you're not!" he asked vehemently.

Nancy looked up at her husband, realizing that he was angry, "I don't know what you expect me to do," she said impatiently, "Zeb's not even in town, and this is too short notice anyway."

"Well, then why don't you cancel the meeting?" Murdock said, trying to keep his tone calm and even.

Nancy looked at him like he was nuts, which just served to get him going again, "Damn it, Nancy, you can't do everything. Call Casey and tell him you can't meet with him today."

They stood looking at each other angrily for several seconds. Nancy's face suddenly twisted in pain, and she clutched her belly. It took Murdock a split second to react. He put a hand on Nancy's shoulder, pulling the office chair over with the other, "What is it Short Cake?" he asked worriedly as he eased her into the chair.

It was a few seconds before Nancy could reply, "I don't know – felt like a really bad cramp."

"Is the pain gone?" he asked, crouching next to her and putting a hand protectively over her belly. He felt a kick from the babies with an overwhelming sense of relief.

Nancy took a deep breath, "Yea, it's gone."

He stood up, "I'm going to call Dr. Phillips," he said brusquely.

Dr. Phillips answered on the first ring, and upon hearing Murdock's anxious account of what had happened, asked to talk to Nancy.

"Nancy, are you leaking any fluids?" the doctor asked.

"No, there's no discharge at all," Nancy said certainly.

"Are the babies still moving around?"

Nancy chuckled, "You better believe it – I really don't think they liked it any more than I did."

"That's good," Dr. Phillips said, "Listen, I don't think there's anything to worry about, but I want you to take it easy for the rest of the weekend and come into the office first thing Monday morning, so I can give you a thorough once over."

"Take it easy?" Nancy asked quietly.

Dr. Phillips chuckled, "Yes, Nancy, take it easy – you know, put your feet up and let HM do all the work. I'd like you off your feet as much as possible for the next couple days, until you come see me. Let me talk to HM," she added thoughtfully.

Nancy handed the phone back to her husband hesitantly. He listened for a minute, then nodded, "You can count on me, Doc. We'll see you Monday at 9. Thanks!"

He shut the phone off and turned a critical eye on his wife, "Well, now you don't have any choice. Doctor's orders – you're to take it easy."

He held the phone out to her, "Better call Casey."

"I can't, I've put Casey off . . ." Nancy's voice faded at the look her husband gave her.

"Then you better figure out who's gonna go to the meeting in your place," Murdock said firmly.

Cuttey smiled at the terrified Ledley. He was winched up so that he had to balance on his toes to keep from choking, and his arms were bound tightly to his sides. Cuttey admired the simplicity and effectiveness of the setup.

Ledley was sputtering and drooling, "Whatta you want?" he gasped.

Cuttey smiled, "We'll get to that a little later. Comfy?"

Ledley looked into Cuttey's empty, cold eyes, "Go to hell," he spat, just before losing his balance and falling against the rope around his neck, grunting in pain, and scrabbling to right himself.

Cuttey smiled, "I live there."

Pinch Hitter

Murdock turned from the stove as Face came walking in the back door, "Hey, Facey, thanks for comin' over."

Face was all business in a three piece suit and tie. He poured himself a cup of coffee, "No problem, Murdock. Is Nan OK?"

Murdock's eyes strayed toward the front room, "Dr. Phillips said there was probably nothing to worry about, but she wants to see Nan on Monday, and said she should take it easy until then."

Face chuckled, "Good luck with that!"

"Tell me about it," Murdock said, "Want some breakfast?"

Face looked at the mounds of eggs, bacon and toast sitting on the counter and shook his head, "You know, Murdock, at some point in time, you're going to have to stop eating like you're 21."

"Is that a 'no'?"

"Yea, no thanks," Face confirmed with a smile, but snagged a piece of bacon, grinning at Murdock, "Except maybe one little piece of bacon."

Murdock shook his head, "Take a plate, Face, there's plenty," he said turning and handing his friend a plate."

Face's brows furrowed as Murdock turned so his face was lit by the sun coming in the kitchen windows, "Hey, you got something on your chin . . ."

"It's just a bruise," Murdock said, putting a hand up to touch the spot where Nancy had clipped him the night before, "Just a reminder never to wake anyone out of a nightmare."

"She had another one, huh?" Face asked quietly.

Murdock nodded, his expression worried, "They're gettin' worse, Face. And she refuses to talk about it."

"They started about the time Kennedy grabbed her, right?"

Murdock nodded, "I thought the worst she got out of that was a black eye, but now I'm not so sure . . ."

Callie came bounding into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw Face, "Hi," she said shyly.

"Good morning, Callie," Face said with a charming smile, kissing her hand with a little bow, "You're looking as beautiful as ever this morning."

Murdock smiled and shook his head – Face never lost his touch. He held a plate out to Callie, "Load her up, Strawberry."

Callie took the plate, "Where are we eating today?"

"In the living room – I need you're help today and tomorrow. We've gotta make sure Nan takes it easy."

"Is she sick?" Callie asked worriedly.

"Not really sick," Murdock said, "She had a contraction this morning and Dr. Phillips wants her to take it easy until she sees her on Monday."

As Callie started loading her plate, Face set his down on the counter. He'd finished his bacon already, and really didn't want anymore.

He turned back to Murdock, whose expression still reflected his worry about his wife, "Maybe she just needs some time, Murdock."

"Yea, maybe," he said uncertainly.

"It'll work out," Face said, glancing at his watch, "I better get in there – we'll talk some more later?"

Face walked into the front room, "Hey, Nan, how're you feeling?"

Nancy sighed, "I'm fine," then looking over her shoulder she repeated herself, more loudly, "I'm fine!"

Face started chuckling and Nancy gave him a withering look. He held up his hands, "Hey, I'm not the one clucking over you, so don't take it out on me," he said, a wide grin still on his face, "So what do you need me to take care of today, boss?"

Nancy indicated the files on the coffee table, "Casey has several projects that he's looking for some under-the-radar support on. He's expecting me at his office around noon – I was going to take him out to lunch."

Face sat down and picked up the nearest file, quickly skimming through it, "Looks like pretty standard stuff – so the Agency can deny everything if we get caught," he looked at Nancy for confirmation.

She nodded, "Yea – I think we should start charging a premium for that . . ."

Face had already started skimming through the next file, when Callie came in, followed closely by Murdock. Callie sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table and started eating. Murdock handed Nancy a plate, then sat down and started eating as well.

He looked up at Face, "Sure I can't get you somethin' more to eat Faceman?"

Face shook his head, "Naw – I ate before I left home."

He glanced up at Nancy, "Which reminds me, Amy said she and Jonny would be over later on – she's looking forward to repaying you for your help when she was on bed rest."

Nancy smiled, "Was the term she used 'repay', as in kindness, or 'pay back'?" she asked jokingly.

Face grinned and shrugged, turning his attention back to the files. He'd skimmed three of the four, and hadn't found anything unusual, "So, do you want to do this under the standard contract?"

"I think we can negotiate something more . . ." Nancy said thoughtfully, "I'm really getting concerned about the staffing problem right now, so I think we can afford to push for a higher margin. If Casey goes for it, I want a 10 increase over our normal fee. We'll put that towards a recruiting campaign – which we really need to get started."

"Sounds like a plan," Face said, gathering up the files and putting them in his briefcase, "Do you want me to pull up the old recruiting ads and get them ready to put out on the wire?"

"Um . . . sure, why not," Nancy said uncertainly, "If Casey gives you any problem with the fee-increase, tell him to find someone else that can provide the service we do . . ."

Face smiled at Nancy tolerantly, "I've got it covered, Nan – I'll have Casey eating out of my hands. Don't you worry about a thing," he stood up, "I really should get going – I need to stop by the Compound before the meeting. I'll see you later."

"'Bye, Face," Murdock said, then pointed at Nancy who had started to get up to follow Face out, "You – sit. Face said he can handle it, so . . . let him handle it."

Nancy dropped back onto the couch in resignation – there was no point in arguing with Murdock when he was in this kind of mood.

Lesley Jenkins had decided to hit the restaurant, Mi Mama's Casa, first thing Saturday morning, before the lunch crowd arrived. She walked through the front door, noting the plush, Italian décor – a little overdone for her taste, but cozy.

She was greeted by the hostess, "I'm sorry, Miss, the restaurant doesn't open until noon. There are tables in the bar, if you want to wait."

"Thanks, but actually, I just stopped by to ask after Juanita Temple," Les said with a smile, "You wouldn't happen to know her, would you?"

"Are you a cop?" the hostess asked suspiciously.

"No," Les assured her, "Just looking for a friend. She moved and I'm trying to locate her . . . she told me she really liked this place, and I was hoping I could get a line on her here."

The young woman considered Les seriously, then shrugged, "You don't look like a cop . . . what was the name again?"

Les smiled winningly, "Juanita Temple, dark wavy hair, brown eyes, about 5'6"."

"Juanita Temple . . ." the hostess repeated thoughtfully, "Doesn't ring a bell. Does she work here?"

"Not necessarily, she may just be a regular customer . . . perhaps a frequent takeout caller?" Les suggested.

"Oh, well, I don't take those orders – they go through to the back," she said, "We have a separate entrance for takeouts. You'll want to talk to Sep, he runs the kitchen and handles all the takeout stuff. Go around the side, I think the takeout door is open. Sep should be back there."

"Thanks," Les said, then pulled out a card and handed it to the hostess, "Listen, if you happen to hear anything about Juanita, could you give me a call. I'm Lesley," she indicated the written name above Nancy's crossed out name on the card, "I just started with Adam's Investigation, so I don't have my own cards yet," she explained.

The hostess looked at the card and wrinkled her nose, "I thought you said you wasn't a cop?"

"I'm not," 'anymore,' Les thought, out loud she said, "I'm a private investigator. It's not really an official case though, just looking into it, like I said, for a friend."

The hostess snorted disbelievingly, "Yea, whatever."

Les shrugged, "If you can help, I'd appreciate it."

She turned and walked back out the way she'd come in. She walked around the side of the restaurant, which sat on a corner, and saw the takeout entrance, as described. She watched for a few minutes as young Latinos walked in and out. She had a strong suspicion that food wasn't the only thing in their bags.

She wandered in the door and few minutes later and stopped at the window inside the little waiting area, speaking to the young man behind the counter, "Hi, I'm looking for Sep?"

"I'm Sep, who's askin'?" said a burly character with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. He pushed the kid aside and grinned at Les lopsidedly, "Hey there, pretty lady – Gissepie Milan at your service."

"Hi," Les said, returning the smile, "I was wondering if you knew of the whereabouts of a Juanita Temple?"

Sep's eyes narrowed, "Whatcha askin' for? Hey, you aren't a cop, are ya?"

Les pulled out another card and held it out to him, "No, I'm a private investigator. I'm looking for Juanita, a friend of hers is worried about her. She moved from her last apartment without notice and now we can't find her."

Sep looked at the card, then looked at Les, "Sorry, can't help you," he said, pocketing the card.

"Can't, or won't?" she asked ruefully.

"Don't make much difference as far as you're concerned, now does it," he said with a smile.

Les shrugged and smiled, "No, I guess not," she agreed, then indicated the pocket holding the card, saying hopefully, "If you _remember_ anything, maybe you could give me a call?"

"Sure thing, sweet cheeks!"

The Submission

Murdock ran into the airfield, relieved to find Steve there, and able to stay all day. Amy and Jonny stopped by mid-morning and stayed and visited for about an hour until it was time to leave to visit Jack. At the hospital, Dr. Lyons stopped by while they were there. He told them that Jack would likely be released Monday, barring any unforeseen setbacks. They left when Jack's lunch was served at a little after noon. Murdock took Nancy and Callie out to lunch at DQ. They arrived home about 1:30pm.

When they walked in the house, Nancy immediately started straightening up, until Murdock grabbed her arm and led her to the couch, "Sit. Strawberry and I will take care of cleaning up."

With much coaching from Nancy, they managed to get the house in respectable shape before Sherry Evanston arrived, at 2:00 sharp.

Murdock and Callie were in the kitchen making a pitcher of lemonade when they heard the knock at the front door, "Go answer the door, Strawberry . . . and be polite!" he concluded to the retreating back.

Callie ran through the living room, waving Nancy back down on the couch, "I got it," she opened the door, "Hello, Ms. Evanston, please come in."

Sherry Evanston stepped through the door and Callie motioned towards the living room, "Have a seat," she offered, "I gotta go help HM in the kitchen."

Sherry watched as Callie ran back to the kitchen.

Nancy stood, "Hello Ms. Evanston," she said, extending her hand in greeting, "Please sit down."

Sherry shook Nancy's hand with a stiff smile before sitting down, "Hello Mrs. Murdock. I trust you didn't have any trouble with the forms."

Nancy sat also, "No, we've completed the application," she picked up the pile of forms and held them out to Sherry, "Hopefully everything's in order."

Sherry took the application and began skimming through it, "Charlotte Lincoln is one of your references . . ."

Nancy nodded, "If it hadn't been for Char, I'm not sure we would have gotten the application done."

"Ms. Lincoln has always been a devoted children's advocate, she'll weigh heavily in your favor," Sherry said grudgingly.

Murdock and Callie came in with the lemonade and cookies. Callie handed Sherry a glass and offered her a plate of cookies, which she politely declined.

Sherry looked at Callie shrewdly as she sat down next to Nancy on the couch, "So, Callie, it appears that you like it here."

Callie nodded earnestly, "It's a great place, Nan and HM got dogs . . ."

"Have," Nancy corrected automatically.

Callie looked at her, "_Have_ dogs, and there's a pond out back, and I got . . . um have my own room with a four-poster bed. And Jackie'll get his own room, too . . ."

"Alright," Sherry said, holding up a hand to stem the flow of words out of Callie's mouth. She turned to Nancy, "You said you were going to see if you could find Juanita Temple – have you had a chance to check where they were living?"

Nancy reached over and got her purse from the edge of the couch, and pulled out her notebook, "The apartment is at 1535 Maple Avenue – they were in 402. But as Callie said, Juanita had moved out about two weeks ago, and she left no forwarding address. I have one of my operatives looking into a couple leads on her whereabouts, but there wasn't much to go on."

Sherry made a note on a notepad. She looked concerned. Nancy hesitated, then added, "I was going to file a missing persons report with the local police – it'll help to have her face out on the wire. I have a couple photos that we picked up at the apartment, but perhaps you have a better picture on file?"

Sherry looked at Nancy shrewdly, "Yes," she pulled a picture out of her brief case, "I'll need it back," she added as she handed it to Nancy.

"Certainly."

Sherry then flipped back in the application, "I see here that you list a Colonel John Smith as one of your references," she glanced up, a curious expression on her face, "That name sounds familiar . . ."

"Colonel John Smith was the leader of the A-Team," Nancy said matter-of-factly, "HM served with the Team in Vietnam. They are now working for Stockwell Enterprises."

Sherry looked at Nancy in disbelief, "I thought Stockwell Enterprises was an international policies think tank – what possible work could a group of mercenaries do at a think tank."

Nancy threw a warning look at Murdock, "Stockwell Enterprises does a wide variety of work, actually," she said evasively, adding, "Colonel Smith and his team oversee security and defense training for personnel."

"I see that both of you are currently employed by Stockwell Enterprises," Sherry said, "as well as having other jobs. Doesn't leave much time for children, does it?"

"We've managed," Nancy said quietly.

Callie jumped in, "They've been great – I went with HM to the airfield, and I've spent time with Nan at the Compound, uh, that's Stockwell Enterprises. And we haven't missed a single visiting hours to go see Jack," Nancy reached over and patted Callie's arm, trying to get her to calm down.

Sherry skimmed through a few more pages before gathering the application into a stack and shoving it into her briefcase, "Well, I will of course be checking your references and your backgrounds," she said, adding snidely, "I am not overly enamored of the idea of leaving Callie and Jack in the care of people that consider mercenaries appropriate references, but then that's just my opinion."

Nancy's composure snapped, "It seems to me you shouldn't judge when you don't know the whole story," she said angrily, color rising on her cheeks, "Colonel Smith and his men are _not_ mercenaries. They are men who have served their country despite its treatment of them. Not only are they appropriate references, but they are role models that I would hold up as an example to any child."

Murdock's own anger had defused with Nancy's outburst, and he was now looking worriedly at his wife, whose face was flushed, "Nan, you need to calm down," he said quietly. Standing up, he turned to Sherry, "Listen," he said earnestly, keeping his own temper in check to try and defuse the situation, "Nancy's had a rough day and she's supposed to be taking it easy. I'd really appreciate it if we could cut this short for right now. If you have any more questions, maybe you could call . . . or we could set up another meeting later this week."

Sherry stood up, her own cheeks red, with embarrassment or anger, Murdock wasn't sure, "I certainly didn't mean to upset you Mrs. Murdock," she said apologetically, "I don't see a need to bother you further right now. If I have any further questions, I will be in touch. Thank you for your time."

Murdock walked Sherry out the front door, and onto the porch, "Ms. Evanston, I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but . . . I really hope that you'll review our application with an open mind," he said, "My background is less than . . . ideal, but I . . . we really care for these children. Nan and I will take good care of them."

Sherry looked down at the ground, then back up at Murdock, "I appreciate that, Mr. Murdock, but I have to be honest, my preference would still be to have the children reunited with their mother."

Murdock nodded, "I understand, and we're doing what we can to try to find her. Les Jenkins is one of Nan's best investigators. But until we do, we'll take good care of Callie and Jack. You have my word."

Sherry acknowledged the promise with a nod, "I'll be in touch, Mr. Murdock – Good day."

Murdock walked back in the house and closed the door behind him.

Nancy sighed, laying her head against the back of the couch, "I blew it," she said miserably.

"Don't sweat it, Short Cake," Murdock said, dropping into the chair that Sherry had vacated a few minutes before, "I think she was properly chastised – she was actually pretty pleasant to me when she was leaving. I'm just dreading what she's going to think if she digs too deep into my past."

"I suppose, on the surface of things, we probably don't appear to be the most appropriate people to raise children," Nancy said, running a hand over her face, "a self-destructive, gun-toting PI and an ex-mental patient with questionable associations – we're not exactly parent of the year material."

Callie stood and picked up her dishes, "You're parents of the century compared to my Mother," she said firmly, "Sherry Evanston has her nose too buried in forms and procedures to see what's starin' her right in the face."

She turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving Nancy and Murdock looking after her in surprise, "Out of the mouths of babes," Murdock said wonderingly.

Nancy convinced Murdock to leave a little early to visit Jack and stop by the police station on the way. Murdock and Callie sat and visited with Joe while Nancy filed the missing persons report on Juanita Temple. They then spent a couple hours with Jack, who was not at all happy when they left.

Empty Handed

Les stopped later that evening, after they had returned from visiting Jack. Callie and Murdock had discovered camaraderie in the kitchen, and were now working on making brownies and caramel corn. She came in the back door, with barely a knock to indicate her entrance. Murdock looked up from a huge bowl of popcorn, and grinned, "Howdy, Les. How's it goin'?"

"Fine," Les said, she smiled at Callie, "You must be Callie."

Murdock turned and took up the introductions, "Callie, this is Lesley Jenkins," Callie shook her hand, "Les is the one looking for your mom."

Callie made a face, "Great," she said, unenthusiastically, pointedly turning away from Les.

Murdock patted her shoulder, "Go finish getting' the brownies into the pan, Strawberry," he suggested, then looked at Les and said quietly "Sorry about that – it's kinda sensitive subject. Anyway, Nan's in the living room . . . and going quietly stir crazy."

Les chuckled, "I'll go occupy a little bit of her time for you," She turned and headed into the living room, while Murdock went to help Callie get the brownies in the oven.

"So," Les said, dropping into a chair in the living room, "How's the invalid?"

Nancy made a face at her, "I am _not_ an invalid," she said irritably, then grinned apologetically, "Sorry – HM's clucking is starting to make me a little testy. How are you Les? Did you get a chance to check into those leads on Juanita?"

"Yea," Les said, flipping open her case book, "Will at the bar didn't know anything about Juanita's whereabouts. Said he hadn't seen her since she'd quit, sometime in late May. So that was a dead end."

"What about Con Smith's restaurant?" Nancy prodded.

"That was a little more interesting, though, still not terribly helpful," Les admitted, "I talked to the guy that runs the kitchen and 'takeout'," she raised an eyebrow at Nancy suggestively, "name of Gissepie Milan. He was hiding something, but I'm not sure if he was just nervous having a private dick snoopin' around or if it really had something to do with Juanita Temple."

Nancy sighed, shaking her head, "I really didn't think it would be that tough to run this woman down," she said in frustration.

"You filed the missing persons?" Les asked.

"Yea, maybe we'll get lucky and someone will spot her. As far as we could tell, the woman has no credit cards, no shopping cards, no health insurance. She's not on unemployment, no checking account. Hell, she doesn't even have a driver's license – she lost it on a DUI 7 years ago and never tried to get it back. Nothing to put a tracer on for activity. It's like she doesn't even exist in the electronic world."

"If we could at least narrow down our search area, we could do a more thorough sweep, but without a neighborhood to start in . . ." Les said.

"There is one other thing," Nancy looked over her shoulder towards the kitchen, seeing that Callie and Murdock were still engrossed in cooking, "I suspect Juanita is pregnant. If she doesn't have health insurance . . ."

"She may try to hit one of the free Family Planning clinics," Les finished Nancy's thought.

Nancy nodded, "It's worth a shot," She stood and went into the office, coming back out with a couple photos, "these aren't very good, but they'll give you something to work with," she said, handing them to Les.

Les stood and took the photos, "OK, well, I'll see what I can find. You might also make sure that the patrols in the neighborhood around Mi Mama's Casa keep a sharp eye out – just on the outside chance that she's around there somewhere. I think given what we know, that should probably be our focal point for the time being."

Nancy nodded, "Good idea – I'll give Tyler a call tomorrow. He didn't hold out a lot of hope for finding her, but maybe if they at least have a starting point we'll improve our chances."

"Any other associates of Juanita's we could shake down?" Les asked.

"A boyfriend, but so far all I've got is a nickname – 'Cuttey' - and it doesn't come up anywhere."

Les smiled, "I'll drop his name – maybe something will shake loose."

"Thanks for the help, Les," Nancy said sincerely.

"Anytime, Nan – I'll touch base with you on Monday," she turned back briefly, "Oh, and tell Riley to get off my ass – he says he's sick of your, how did he phrase it . . ."

"Charity work," Nancy finished for her, "I'll take care of Riley – and next time you see him, tell him that if I wasn't such a sucker for charity I'd have left him years ago."

Les laughed, "I'll be more than happy to convey the message."

What Murdock Doesn't Know

The remainder of the weekend seemed to last forever, to Nancy. Murdock and Callie managed to keep her in a chair with her feet up for the majority of it, except when they went to the hospital to see Jack, who was definitely getting better . . . and cranky about being left behind when visiting hours were over. By Monday morning, Nancy was more than ready to go see Dr. Phillips and be told that she could get her life back to normal.

Callie stayed with Maggie while Murdock and Nancy went to the doctor. When they arrived at the office, it was still a little before 9 and Nancy was apparently the first patient of the morning. The nurse, Celia, led Nancy back to an examining room to drop off her stuff, before being led to the scale.

Celia checked the scale reading twice and clucked her tongue, "OK, into the examining room, and we'll check your blood pressure and the fetal heartbeats."

In the examining room, Celia had Nancy get undressed and put on a gown and sit on the examining table with a sheet over her lap. She then took Nancy's blood pressure without comment, then had her lie back on the table and lift her gown. She managed to find each of the twins' hearbeats and Celia smiled, "They sound good and strong," she wiped Nancy's belly off, and helped her to a sitting position, "The doctor will be in to see you shortly."

After she'd left, Murdock leaned against the examining table and rubbed Nancy's lower back, "It was a relief to hear the heartbeats," he said quietly. Nancy nodded in agreement, leaning against his shoulder.

Dr. Phillips was not long in coming and stepped through the door after a brief knock, holding Nancy's chart in her hand. She greeted them, and sat down on the stool at the tiny desk. She looked up at Nancy, "Have you been relaxing, like I told you?"

"I didn't have much choice, you set Murdock on watch," Nancy said, looking at her husband and smiling tolerantly.

"Perhaps I should ask him, then," Dr. Phillips said, looking at Murdock with raised eyebrows.

"She behaved herself for the most part this weekend, Doc," he said, "I don't think she liked it but she kept her feet up."

Dr. Phillips stood and took Nancy's blood pressure again, making a note on the chart. She then had Nancy lie back on the table. She measured her belly, then checked her cervix. As she was helping Nancy sit up, she asked, "You haven't noticed any fluids leaking since the contraction?"

Nancy shook her head, "And you've had no further contractions since?"

Nancy hesitated, "Not like that one, but I've had some discomfort – like a belt tightening around my middle. It usually lasts for a minute or two then goes away."

Dr. Phillips nodded, and sat back down at the desk, making some notations on the chart. She turned and considered Nancy seriously, "I think that everything is fine, good strong heartbeats, rates at a good level, and your measurements are right on. I am going to order an ultrasound, just to make sure, but I'm fairly confident that the babies are OK."

Nancy and Murdock smiled in relief at each other, but the relief was short-lived, "I am however," the doctor continued, "concerned about a couple things. First of all, Nancy, you've lost 2 lbs since your last appointment – you should be steadily gaining during these last few months, especially with twins. Second, your blood pressure is up. Celia read it at 138 over 88, when I checked it was 135 over 89. I really don't like to see it so high, especially after a weekend of taking it easy."

Dr. Phillips looked at the chart, then back at Nancy, "You're still working full time?"

"More than full time," Murdock said tersely. Nancy looked at him sharply, but certainly couldn't argue with the validity of the statement.

Dr. Phillips nodded in understanding, "There's no indication of any of the diseases we would normally be concerned about. You're on the borderline, and I really want to avoid medicating you for high blood pressure," she looked at Nancy critically, "Nancy, I know you don't want to hear this, but you are going to have to slow down. We talked about this at your last appointment, and your blood pressure wasn't this high."

Nancy's jaw clenched, and Dr. Phillips raised an eyebrow at the young woman, "Let me put this another way, Nancy, I want to see you back here at the end of the week. I should have the ultrasound results back by then. If I don't see any improvement in your blood pressure, we are going to talk seriously about putting you on bed rest."

Dr. Phillips flipped the chart shut and stood, "Stop by the nurses' station and Celia will get you scheduled at the hospital for the ultrasound – preferably today. Then make an appointment for Friday."

She put a friendly hand on Nancy's shoulder, "This isn't a punishment, Nancy," she said, smiling, "The goal is to get you and the twins through this pregnancy with the least amount of risk possible. I know we've talked about this before – pregnancy, especially with twins, places a lot of stress on your body. We need to reduce the external stressors to try and get your blood pressure under control, and keep you healthy."

"Nothing like being knocked over the head with the obvious," Murdock said.

The ultrasound was scheduled for later that afternoon. They started out to the car, Nancy sullen and silent, Murdock agitated.

He couldn't decide if he was angrier than he was worried or the other way around. Obviously the blood pressure thing had cropped up last appointment and he couldn't remember why he wasn't there, but was kicking himself for missing it. And why hadn't Nancy told him about it?

"So your blood pressure was high last appointment, too?" he asked.

"Higher than usual, yes."

"And this wasn't the first time Dr. Phillips warned you to slow down?" he continued.

"No."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Nancy just looked at him as if the answer was obvious, and didn't say a word. They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence.

He hated it when Nancy clammed up like this. They rode in silence, until he couldn't stand it anymore, "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I need to go to the Compound," Nancy said flatly.

He felt his jaw tense but took a deep breath before responding, "You're baiting me."

Nancy looked at him defiantly, then cast her eyes down guiltily, "Yea, I guess I am."

"Everyone has been telling you to slow down, come to find out, even Dr. Phillips . . .," he started quietly.

"Please, don't," Nancy said, "I know, and I'm working on it . . . I really do need to go to the Compound," she added tentatively.

"Fine," he said flatly.

Nancy sighed, and looked purposely out the window. Murdock looked over at her, reached down and covered her hand with his, "I'm just worried about you, Short Cake, and the twins."

She turned and looked at him, "I know."

Cuttey was just finishing his smoke. As he'd just reported to Con Smith's lacky, Frank – things were going better than he had anticipated. Ledley hadn't taken much to break, and now it was all gravy. He had the guy eating out of his hands. Ledley just wanted out, and he would do anything to get out. He hadn't allowed Ledley to sleep, eat, or even drink for the last 48 hours, and on top of a hangover that was hell. Ledley was dehydrated and exhausted, and Cuttey had been relentlessly tormenting him the entire time.

Cuttey stubbed out his cigarette, and took a deep breath of fresh air before heading back into the cabin. Ledley hadn't been let off the leash since Friday, and had made a mess of himself in the cabin. The smell was beginning to get overwhelming. Degradation, along with other physical and mental torment were taking their toll.

Cuttey stepped into the cabin and Ledley spun around looking at him like a caged animal, "When are you going to tell me what you want? I'll tell you anything, do anything – just let me out of here."

"All in due time, Mr. Ledley, all in due time," Cuttey smiled, pulling on a pair of elbow-length gloves, while Ledley looked on in terror.

Making Progress

Nancy was sitting in the office at the Compound reviewing the contract that Face had negotiated with Casey, while Face sat quietly on the other side of the desk. She shook her head, and Face sat forward, "What's wrong?"

Nancy smiled, "Not a thing – I told you I wanted a 10 increase in fees . . ."

"Yea, well, Casey was amenable to a 15 increase," Face said with a shrug.

"You sound disappointed."

Face grinned, "Well, I asked for 25 - I don't usually allow myself to lose a full 10!"

Nancy flipped the file shut, stood up and walked around the desk, "Guess you win," she said quietly, "I talked to Hannibal earlier, since the Doc says I have to slow down . . . I want you to take over the new project development work, in addition to the recruiting program. I'm going to be stepping back from Stockwell Enterprises operations, at least in the short term."

Face stood with a broad smile, "You mean I get to be the boss?"

Nancy's eyes narrowed, "Not exactly, the boss, Face – I'm leaving that to Hannibal."

Face grimaced, "I'm going to report to him for the rest of my life."

Nancy grinned, "Cheer up, Face, at least in this position you shouldn't have to dodge too many bullets."

They turned and headed toward the door, Face put a brotherly arm around her shoulders and squeezed, "We've got things covered, Nan. You need to take care of yourself."

Nancy smiled gratefully at him, "That's the idea."

Murdock came around the door, "Hey, Faceman, hands off my wife," he said, only half jokingly, "we need to keep a sense of propriety here after all."

Nancy looked at Murdock with a raised eyebrow, deciding it was past time for him to get a reality check, "Propriety, huh," she said glibly. She turned and grabbed Face's lapels, pulling him down and kissing him full on the lips. She released a rather stunned Face and turned to her husband with an impish grin, "I suppose that's out then?" She turned and slid past him and into the hall.

Murdock pursed his lips, "Guess I deserved that," he said repentantly, as Face stepped up next to him, with a deep breath, trying hard not to laugh.

"Damn straight," Nancy said over her shoulder.

Murdock nodded thoughtfully, then looked sideways at his friend, "You didn't enjoy that, right?"

"Not at all," Face said, hurrying out the door and towards the gym, before his self-control was totally lost.

Ledley was lying in the fetal position, shivering. Cuttey nudged him with his toe. Ledley moaned, "Please, no more . . . no more."

Cuttey crouched next to him, grabbed a hand full of hair, and yanked his head back, forcing him to look at him, "OK, no more – let's talk about what I want from you."

"Anything, just please, stop," Ledley dissolved into tears, slobbering.

"Yes, you will do anything," Cuttey said, "But what I need is just for your to keep your trap shut – no more talking to the cops. No more testifying against your old friends."

"No, I promise, I'll keep quiet," Ledley said desperately.

"I know you will," Cuttey said, a cruel smile creasing his face, "Because you know, any time, anywhere – I can find you. And if you breath one word of any of this, we'll have another of these little sessions. And I won't be near as gentle."

"Now," Cuttey said, lifting a knife and admiring how it gleamed, "I'm just going to leave you a little permanent reminder of our deal."

Ledley shuddered involuntarily and collapsed back into the fetal position, muttering, "I promise," over and over again.

"That's all I have, Hannibal," Nancy said, "I'm not planning on being in the rest of the week. I'm going to leave things in your capable hands. If you need anything, you know where I live!"

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at her, "I really don't think the General is going to be wild about your delegation, Nancy. I don't think he ever wanted the A-Team running Stockwell Enterprises."

A funny smile curved Nancy's lips, "I never have made him happy – why start now?"

Hannibal just shook his head, Nancy tended to vacillate between an overwhelming desire to please her Uncle, to an almost destructive tendency to defy him. He'd seen the flip flop several times over the years since he'd met her, but it never ceased to amaze him.

She bridled at Hannibal's silence, taking it as tacit disagreement with her tactic, "Besides, I don't see where I have any other choice with everyone breathing down my neck. And now if I don't show some improvement by Friday, Dr. Phillips is going to shut me down totally . . . not to mention that Murdock is going to have a cow."

"Murdock is just worried about you . . . we all are," Hannibal chuckled, "and besides, I'm not questioning your motivation – I'm just wondering whether you're going to fess up, or hope that the General doesn't find out."

"I'm weighing my options," Nancy said, relaxing as she realized that Hannibal wasn't criticizing her actions. She didn't necessarily need his blessing, but it certainly made her feel better.

She stood up, "Well, I better go find HM and get moving. We need to pick Jack up at the hospital."

Hannibal stood, too, and walked with her to the door, "Try to relax and enjoy the time off, Nancy," he counseled, "We know what needs to be done and we'll do it. Things are well in hand."

"I know, Hannibal, and I'll do my best, but no promises," she said uncertainly, "I've never been very good at twiddling my thumbs."

"I don't really think that's going to be a problem with Callie and Jack around," he said with a smile, "I think they'll keep you busier than you realize. Try and enjoy it."

Murdock came walking in from the gym, "Ready to go, Short Cake?"

Nancy nodded, "Ready," she said, "See you later Hannibal, and thanks, again."

"Yea, thanks Hannibal – we'll see ya later," Murdock said as he put a protective arm around Nancy's shoulders and steered her out of the house.

Nee walked out of the apartment building, squinting against the sun, even with her sunglasses on. She shaded her eyes, and looked around nervously, clutching her purse to her side. She moved haltingly down the block, continuing to look around periodically. She reached the bus stop, on the next block and sat down to wait for the bus.

A patrol car slowed as it went by, the officer in the passenger side looking at Nee curiously. Nee clutched her purse closer, watching as the patrol car turned the next corner. She opened her purse and checked her money again – just enough for the bus fare to the old neighborhood and back. She wasn't going to have much time to look for the kids. Hopefully, they hadn't wandered too far from the apartment.

She pulled a card out of her purse curiously, noting that it was Sherry Evanston's. She considered the number thoughtfully, then put the card back in her purse and snapped it shut. She noticed that the patrol car was again slowly cruising past and looked up, her eyes looking directly into those of the officer in the passenger seat. Nee tried to calm her breathing, but when the patrol car parked and the officers got out and started walking back to her, she stood and started walking back towards the apartment.

One of the officers called to her, "Miss, could we have a word?"

Her adrenalin pumping, Nee started running and ducked down the next road and down a back alley, ducking into a doorway, and trying to disappear in the shadows.

She heard the officers running past. She huddled in the shadows and waited, thinking that the whole idea of going to find the kids was foolish to begin with – Cuttey would kill her if he came back and they were in the apartment. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but by the time she headed back to the apartment it was beginning to get dark.

Once inside, she reached into her purse and took out the card she had found earlier and pulled the phone onto her lap. She dialed the number, and when the phone was answered, she said, "Sherry, this is Nee – I need your help."

Sherry Evanston gripped the phone, "Nee, where are you? I've been worried sick."

"I'm OK, Sherry, but you gotta help me," Nee pleaded, "You gotta go find the kids."

"I've got the kids in state custody, already," Sherry said soothingly, "Where are you? I can have them to you this afternoon."

"_NO_," Nee said vehemently, "I can't take them now – you gotta take care of 'em for me. I'll come get them as soon as I can. I'm just relieved to know they're OK – they _are_ OK?"

Sherry debated what to say, "Well, yea, they are now," she said, "Jack's getting outta the hospital today."

"Oh God," Nee gasped, "What's wrong?"

"He had pneumonia," Sherry said, adding angrily, "He almost didn't make it, Nee – Callie said they'd been on the street for at least a couple weeks. Why didn't you call before now."

"I couldn't," Nee said simply, "I'm in trouble, Sherry . . . I can't explain, but I'm in big trouble and I don't want the kids involved. I'll come get 'em as soon as I can. Please, take good care of 'em for me."

"Nee, just tell me where you are, I'll come pick you up . . ."

"No," Nee said quietly, "You don't understand – he'd find me. I gotta figure somethin' else out. I'll call later."

"Nee . . ." Sherry said, but the line was dead. She put the phone down and opened up the file on her desk, looking up the number for Nancy Murdock.

Comin' Home

As they rode down the road, Murdock looked sideways at Nancy, "Thank you," he said simply.

Nancy smiled, "Yea, well, let's just chalk it up to a large learning curve."

He nodded, looking thoughtful, "I feel kinda like I'm on a role . . ." he said cautiously, "Do you think we could maybe tackle another problem . . ."

Nancy's brow furrowed, "What _other_ problem?"

"The nightmares," he said tentatively, "What's going on, Nan – if it's not what happened with your Mom, what is it?"

Nancy licked her lips, "It's . . . it's not something I'm ready to discuss," she said hesitantly, "I think . . . well, that little encounter with Kennedy triggered a bit of a regression. It'll be alright, I just need to work through it."

"Nan, it's not . . . normal," he sighed, "I mean, this 'regression' seems pretty extreme."

Nancy looked at her hands, as Murdock pulled into Hannibal and Maggie's driveway. He turned to her, "This kind of reaction is indicative of some deeply rooted issue – and if you don't start facing it, you're never going to 'work though it'."

"HM, please don't psychoanalyze me," she said testily, then relented, "I'm sorry, just, please, give me a little time . . . and a little breathing room."

Callie came running out the front door, with Maggie trailing behind.

Murdock watched Callie with a smile playing around his lips, then he turned to Nancy, "You need to talk it out, Nan."

"Please don't push . . .," she said quietly.

Callie wrenched open the door, "Can we go get Jack now?" she asked anxiously.

Murdock hadn't taken his eyes off Nancy, but decided that now probably wasn't the time to push the issue – but it was coming, soon.

He smiled back at Callie, "Sure, Strawberry, let's go get Jack."

Les headed into the fourth family planning clinic that she'd visited that day. She'd started with Mi Mama's Casa as the center and worked out in a spiral from that point with no luck, whatsoever.

She walked up to the reception desk, and the woman behind the desk barely even looked up, "Sign in and take a clipboard. Make sure you fill out the entire form and sign it. That is your medical release."

Les ignored the clipboard, "I'm sorry, I'm not here for service," she said, pulling out a picture and a card, "I Les Jenkins, and I'm looking for this woman, Juanita Temple. Have you seen her in here recently?"

The woman looked at Les blankly for a moment, glanced at the photo, and shook her head, "I don't recall seeing her, but I'm only here part time."

"How many other receptionists are there?"

"Two," the woman answered, "Lois works Tuesday, Thursday, and Gerry works Saturday and Sunday – we're open 7 days a week."

Les made a note in her case log, "Would you mind taking a copy of the picture and leaving it with a note and my card asking the other two receptionists if they've seen her?"

"I suppose I could, but no promises," she said, taking the photo and turning to the copier. She returned the photo and accepted the business card, "the picture doesn't copy too good – you might want to stop by and see Lois and Gerry personally."

Les smiled, "I'll try. Thanks for your help."

She walked out to her car and sat down, contemplating the mostly wasted morning. She sighed and started the engine – maybe she'd get some lunch at Mi Mama's Casa. After all, she needed to eat.

At the hospital Jack was totally dressed and ready to go when they walked in the door, "I'm all ready," he said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Murdock scooped him up and sat him down on the bed, "I think you have your shoes on the wrong feet, buddy," he said as he set to correcting the problem.

Nancy smiled, "We can't leave 'til Dr. Lyons comes anyway," she said.

As if on cue, Dr. Lyons came walking in, "Well, if it isn't my most energetic patient," he said, smiling. He shook hands with Nancy and Murdock, "The nurse called me as soon as she saw you coming in, told me I'd be sorry if I didn't get down here to release him right away."

Jack jumped down off the bed, "Can we go now?"

"Hold your horses, there bucko," Dr. Lyons said, "Why don't you and your sister go play over there while I give Mr. and Mrs. Murdock your discharge instructions."

"C'mon, Jackie," Callie said, taking his hand, "it'll be boring anyway."

"But, I'm ready to go . . ." Jack protested as Callie led him to the end of the room.

Dr. Lyons watched them leave, then motioned to seats for Nancy and Murdock, "Please have a seat. I really wanted a chance to talk to you without the kids around."

He took a deep breath, then continued, "Jack is doing fine – the infection seems to be gone, though I'll be sending you home with a prescription for him. He'll stay on the antibiotics for awhile, just as a precaution against relapse."

He crossed his arms, and checked to make sure the kids were still at the end of the room, "What I really wanted to talk to you about, is . . . well, as part of the release, we did a complete physical examination of Jack, and I'm afraid . . . well, there's evidence of fairly recent sexual abuse."

Nancy felt her stomach lurch, "How recent?"

"Probably within the last month to 6 weeks, based on the extent of healing."

Murdock's jaw was clenched, "That would put it just before the kids ran away."

Dr. Lyons nodded, "I thought you should know. By the way, congratulations on becoming foster parents – you're doing a great thing for these kids," he said, "I was pleased to get the release forms from CS – they sure did hurry things along for you."

He stood, "That's really all I have. Jack should be fine, physically. Please make an appointment with my office in about 2 weeks – the number is on the release forms," he handed them the papers, and shook their hands, "Good luck, and if you have any questions, or there are any problems please don't hesitate to call. Take care."

He walked to the back of the room, and shook Jack's hand formally and told him he'd see him in a couple weeks, just to check on him.

Jack and Callie came running back to Nancy and Murdock, "_Now_, can we go?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Yes, Jack, _now_ we can go!" Nancy said.

The hostess recognized Les when she walked in, "Back to ask more questions?"

Les smiled, "No actually, the food smelled so good last time I was here, I decided to give it a try – just one for lunch."

"Right this way," the hostess said, picking up a menu and leading Les back to a table.

Les ate a leisurely lunch watching the comings and goings of the patrons with passing interest. She was just about done when Con Smith came walking in with a contingent of thugs. They disappeared into the back room and Les decided to check it out. She left enough money on the table to cover her tab and a tip, and headed down the back hall. She noted the muscle covering a door at the end of the hall as she walked the opposite direction to the ladies restroom.

She sighed as she washed her hands – based on the brief look she'd gotten there was no sneaking into a spot where she could eavesdrop on the back room. Given the building layout, she was guessing it was an interior room, so there'd be no direct access from the outside either. That meant it was the front door, or bust.

She walked out of the bathroom, and straight up to the big guy standing at the door. She smiled at him winningly, "Hi!" she said brightly, "I was just wondering if a friend of mine was working – his name is, um, Cuttey."

"Cuttey ain't here."

"Oh, OK," Les said, feeling a surge of excitement, "If you see him, tell him Shelley said 'hey'." She waved and walked back out to the restaurant and out the front door.

She took a walk around the outside of the restaurant. On the back alley, she looked around, then pushed a wood box up under one of the windows, and after checking one more time, climbed up and looked through the window. It appeared to look into another hall, and she could see another thug at the entrance to a room – probably another entrance to the room she was interested in.

She jumped down and continued down the alley. The kitchen entrance was propped open, and the kitchen was bustling with activity. She stepped through the door, and waited for someone to notice her, but no one seemed to so she walked around the corner into a supply closet. There were dirty uniforms there, and she picked one up and put it on, stepping back out into the kitchen, she walked through the nearest swinging door, and found herself in another hallway, with another guarded entry. She immediately turned around and went back through the swinging door and stood there for a minute before going back into the supply closet.

She ditched the uniform, it wasn't going to do her any good. She stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to figure out a way in, when she looked up and smiled – a utility entry – totally unguarded.

She pushed a stool over under the hatch and stood on it, pushing the hatch cover up and over. She pulled a pen light out and with her hand covering the light to dim it some, she looked both directions. There was some ambient light from registers along the ducting, so she turned the light off and pulled herself up into the cramped duct work. Because of the tight space, she couldn't get the access cover back in place – she could barely crawl along on her belly. Going was very slow.

She made her way down the ventilation duct to the nearest register, which looked in on an empty office. Here there was a branch in the duct work, and she passed it, backed her way into it, and turned around – this allowed her to make her way back and put the hatch cover back in place, which made her feel more comfortable about not being discovered. She moved slowly backwards past the first register to the second. This one also looked in on an office, this one with a woman in it who was working on paperwork of some sort. At the third register, she hit pay dirt – it looked over a large room. There was a table within her line of sight that had four men sitting at it playing poker. This was the place. The group at the table was fairly quiet, concentrating on their game. She could also hear a conversation, closer than the poker players, off to the right, and out of her line of sight.

She listened intently, there were two voices, one had a funny whistling rasp every time he breathed in, like he was having trouble breathing. The other was apparently the boss.

The wheezer was saying, "Yea boss, we got everything set for the delivery. Shouldn't be no problems."

"Good, I don't want anything messin' this up," the boss (Con Smith, Les guessed) said, "Takin' over the west end is strapping us for goods. We're gonna have to up the order nex' time to cover."

A balding, rotund man in a suit and tie backed into view, "Will do, boss," he turned and walked out of the room, via the door that would lead to the hallway by the restaurant.

All was quiet for the next hour. The boss was served a huge meal, and Les was starting to doze off, when a new voice roused her. She was looking out the register on an angle and had missed the new arrival coming in, but he had taken a seat with the boss and was obviously providing a routine report on the 'business'.

The new guy was saying, "I just got off the phone with Cuttey, he said that his little project has gone much better than planned. He should be home tomorrow, and he said there ain't no way that bird is singin'."

"See Frank, I told you Cuttey's talents would come in handy . . . what else you got for me?"

"Well, I checked in with the Council, like you said," Frank said, "they said the payoff for the Murdock contract went up – Kennedy's turnin' up the heat. Rumor I heard was, he's gonna be out soon."

"Kennedy's good, but he ain't that good," the boss said disparagingly, "he's pegged as a flight risk – no way they'll set bail."

"I don't know," Frank said, "I think he's got a judge in his pocket. Anyway, I thought you might be interested, 'cause Kennedy's puttin' his business on the line – he'll partner in whoever completes the contract. That's pretty damned lucrative, 'specially if he ends up in the joint."

There was silence for a few seconds, "Alright, let's review what we've got on Murdock," the boss said, "there's some powerful muscle there – that's why nobody's taken the contract so far."

"I'll pull the file," Frank said, and apparently left by a door out of Les' line of sight.

Les let out the breath she was holding. This wasn't what she had been expecting. It was time to leave. She made her way slowly down the duct, her arms tingling painfully as the circulation came back into them. She lifted the access cover cautiously, but the supply closet was empty. She dropped down onto the stool and put the cover back in place. She managed to slip out into the alley undetected and ran back to her car.

The phone in Nancy's office started ringing at a little before 8 and Nancy looked at Jack apologetically, "Sorry, buddy – I gotta go get that. Can you read to yourself for a few minutes?"

"Sure, Nan," Jack said cheerfully, and Nancy headed into the front room.

She picked up the phone, "Hello, this is Nancy," she said.

"Nan, this is Riley," Riley said unnecessarily.

"What's up, Riley?"

"I've got Les here, Nan, and she just told me a real interesting story," Riley said and proceeded to provide Nancy with a summary of Les' evening.

While Nancy was listening, she closed the door to the office and sat down, "So she found Cuttey?" she asked excitedly.

Riley growled, "Damn it Nancy, who gives a flying fuck if she found Cuttey – you're in deep shit. There's a contract out on you."

"It's nothing new, Riley," Nancy said dismissively.

"He's raising the stakes, Nan," Riley insisted, "Eventually somebody's gonna bite."

"I'll be alright," Nancy said, "Was Les able to find out where Cuttey's staying?"

"No," Riley said, "Listen, I want you to call me at regular intervals . . ."

"Riley, drop it, OK," Nancy said irritably, "I'm at home with HM and the kids. Nothing is going to happen tonight, for goodness sake."

"OK," Riley said, "But tomorrow, after Murdock leaves in the morning, I'm going to keep track of you – either Les or I will call you on your cell. Make sure it's charged, and for Christ's sake, don't ignore it."

"Fine," Nancy conceded, "Have Les see if she can get a line on where Cuttey's living – that's where we'll find Juanita."

"Are we having the same fucking conversation," Riley asked impatiently.

Nancy chuckled, "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Riley. G'night."

Nancy opened the door and found Jack had fallen asleep reading his book. Callie and Murdock were still in the kitchen, making nachos to eat while they watched a history program that was due on at 8. She picked up Jack and took him up to his room and tucked him into bed. Then she went down and joined Callie and Murdock watching their program. By 9:00pm Callie was yawning and Nancy and HM took her up to bed and tucked her in.

They went down to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Murdock looked at Nancy, who was washing her face, "By the way, who called earlier?"

"Oh, it was Riley," Nancy said off-handedly. She finished rinsing her face and dried it on the towel, "Leslie got a lead on Cuttey – she's gonna follow it up tomorrow."

Murdock yawned and stretched, "You know, neither one of us really worked today, and we were still on the run all day," he said in wonder, "we need to institute a life simplification principal – no more new commitments, no more new partnerships, no more new anything. Let's see if we can get a handle on what we got."

Nancy rinsed her mouth, laughing, "I think it's a little late for that – there will be two new little babies in under three months. And there's no stopping that."

"Right, right," he smiled as she moved into his arms and he kissed the top of her head, "Previously sealed commitments aside, I mean."

They stood together for a few minutes. Nancy let her eyes close and leaned against him, her arms locked around his waist. Murdock smiled, running a hand through her hair and kissing the top of her head again, "C'mon, Short Cake, let's get to bed."

She smiled teasingly, as they turned and started towards the stairs, arm in arm, "I'm always ready to go to bed with you, flyboy."

"Better watch out, I might start gettin' ideas . . . he said, grinning suggestively.

"I certainly hope so."

_She was running down a dark alley, her heart pounding in her ears, and her breath coming in rasps. She kept looking over her shoulder. She could see nothing but shadows pursuing her, but she knew they were sinister. Were they getting closer? She couldn't tell, but raw fear kept her running, even though it felt like her heart would burst from her rib cage. Up ahead she could see a light, but it wasn't getting any closer. Wouldn't anyone help her? If she squinted into the light she could see someone beckoning, but she couldn't make out who it was, because the light was behind them and was blinding her. She slowed her pace and shaded her eyes, trying to make the person out._

_A door appeared on her left and she stopped and opened it, hoping for a route of escape. When the door opened, it blocked the light from the end of the tunnel, plunging her into darkness. The smell of chloroform filled her nostrils as she struggled to remain awake. She could feel herself being swallowed up by the blackness, unable to resist the drug._

_Suddenly, she found herself strapped to a table, with a large, examining light blinding her so that she was forced to close her eyes. She couldn't move at all, and she was cold, so cold. She could feel something touching her, at first just here and there, but soon, everywhere, intimately and cruelly. She opened her mouth to scream, but her mouth was dry, and her tongue was swollen and felt like sand paper, making it impossible to make any sound._

_The light went out, and she opened her eyes tentatively, looking into the black eyes of a mad man. He was talking to her, but even if she concentrated, she couldn't understand what he was saying. All she could see were his eyes, empty dead eyes; and his mouth, spewing gibberish that she knew she should understand but couldn't seem to make sense of. She wanted desperately to understand him, to understand why. She listened intently, for what seemed like an eternity, until she felt his hands stop their wandering and tighten around her neck. His mouth closed over hers . . ._

Nancy sat up in bed, gasping for breath, her heart beating in her throat. Slowly, she realized that she was in her bedroom, in her home. She heard HM's slow even breathing, and focused on it as an anchor in reality, slowly coming out of the nightmare.

She turned and sat on the edge of the bed staring into the darkness. HM was right, the nightmares were getting worse, luckily tonight she hadn't awakened him. He was becoming more insistent, wanting to know what was going on, and she still wasn't sure she was ready to talk about it.

She stood and quietly left the room, heading downstairs. In the bathroom, she turned on the cold water and splashed her face, trying the freeze the images out of her head. The twins gave a comforting thump, and she smiled to herself – they seemed to know when Mom needed a reminder of reality.

She looked at the red numbers on the digital clock, the only light in the bathroom – 4:30 am. HM would be waking up soon, and he'd come looking for her if she wasn't in bed, but she needed to purge the nightmare. She dried her face and headed into her office. She opened the center drawer of her desk, reaching into the back she pulled out a dog-eared logbook and opened it to the next blank page and started writing.

She got to the part where she opened the door in the tunnel, with the darkness and the smell of chloroform. She'd never forget that smell, it triggered an intense, almost overwhelming terror . . . she stopped writing and closed her eyes allowing the memory of the smell and reaction to fill her mind. It caused an almost immediate physical reaction, causing her to tremble, but she consciously pushed it into a corner of her mind and closed the door. Opening her eyes, she looked at the page of notes, and next to that section she wrote 'Carson'. Kennedy had let that monster back out inside her head. She drew a door around the name and proceeded to totally color it in so that the name was obliterated, drawing a heavy padlock and key over the door knob.

She closed the book and headed back upstairs, checking in on Jack and Callie, before going back to her own bedroom.

HM was sitting up in bed when she came in, "Nightmare or contraction?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

Nancy delayed answering, as she slipped into bed, "It was a nightmare," she finally answered, as he settled next to her and put his arms around her, resting his hands on her belly.

His lips touched the back of her head, "Are you OK?" he asked.

Nancy smiled and covered his hands with hers, "I am now," she said, "let's go back to sleep – it's still awful early."

Murdock took a deep breath, biting back the questions he knew she wouldn't answer, "OK, Short Cake – but promise me, only sweet dreams."

A Day of Discovery

Murdock woke when the sun came shining through the window. Nancy was sleeping peacefully, so he slipped out of bed, and quietly dressed. He went downstairs and into the kitchen, setting out eggs, milk and flour along with the other stuff to make pancakes. He wanted to make a big breakfast to celebrate Jack coming home. As he was working he started noticing an annoying beeping coming from somewhere towards the front of the house.

Murdock followed the sound into Nancy office – it sounded like a portable phone with a dying battery. He was shuffling through the papers on her desk, when he came across a dog-eared log book. He opened it assuming it was her current case book. She'd been keeping him up to date on the Juanita Temple search, but he always liked looking through her current case book, it provided an interesting glimpse into how her mind worked.

He sat down and flipped to a few pages before the last entry. As he began reading, he realized it wasn't her case book – it was much more interesting than that.

When Nancy came downstairs, Callie and Jack were helping Murdock set the table and finish breakfast. She smiled as she walked into the kitchen, saying cheerfully, "Smells good down here!"

Callie chirped a quick 'Good morning!' as she ferried silverware into the dining room.

Jack bounded up to her and hugged her legs, "We're havin' a feast to celebrate me gettin' outta the hopsital!" he said enthusiastically, "HM made Mickey Mouse pancakes, 'n eggs, 'n, 'n toast, 'n bacon."

"Good morning, Short Cake," Murdock said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Anything I can do to help?" Nancy asked.

"Naw," Murdock said, "I think everything is ready."

Callie took Nancy's arm and led her to the dining room table, "HM said you're still supposed to be taking it easy. And since he has to go to work today, he's put me in charge of making sure that you do."

"Is that right?" Nancy said, looking up with an amused smile to catch her husband's eye. She was disconcerted by the concern and hurt that she saw reflected in Murdock's face, and looked down at her plate in dismay. She felt certain he was worrying about her nightmares again, but when she glanced back up the expression was gone, and he was grinning at Jack, who was having trouble sitting still, and looked like a little bobble head.

"Alright, that's everything – let's dig in!" Murdock said.

Callie and Jack carried the conversation during the meal, making plans for all the things that they wanted to do.

Murdock finished his food, and stood about 15 minutes later, "I gotta get going. Enjoy you're day – and remember, you two, I know it's not easy, but try to keep Nan quiet."

The glance he threw at Nancy as he left carried a silent entreaty, and she smiled at him, "We aren't going to do anything more strenuous than walk the dogs back to the pond," she assured him.

He leaned down and gave her a kiss, "Make sure you behave, Short Cake."

Callie insisted that Nancy sit still while she and Jack cleared the table. She loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, telling Nancy, "This is way easier than washin' 'em by hand!"

Just as Callie was finishing the dishes, Amy and Jonny showed up. Billy and Ginger were begging for exercise, so the whole group ended up taking a walk back to the pond with the dogs.

Nancy remembered to take her cell phone, tucking it unobtrusively into her jacket pocket. Riley had only called once so far, and she was already tired of it. She also took her guitar, feeling an overwhelming need to play out some of her anxiety. Amy, Jonny and Nancy found a seat on a downed old tree near the pond and visited, while Callie and Jack raced Billy and Ginger all around the pond and played fetch.

Nancy and Amy were sitting in companionable silence, Nancy strumming absently on the guitar, when Callie came and sat down, "Whatcha doin', Nan?"

Nancy shrugged, looking at the guitar in surprise as if just realizing that she was even playing, "Nothing, really, just pickin'."

Amy chuckled, "Cal, Nancy will never tell you she actually plays that thing."

Nancy smiled self-consciously, "I play at playing – certainly not serious about it."

Callie asked curiously, "When you sing, do the songs mean anything to you?"

"Sure," Nancy said, leaning on the guitar, "When I sing, I try to put myself in it – like if it reminds me of a certain person, or a situation I've been in."

"Does it work both ways?" Callie asked, and seeing the confusion on Nancy's face, she clarified, "You know, if you look at a certain person, do they make you think of a song?"

"Sometimes," she said, smiling, "HM makes me think of _This Must be the Place_ by David Byrne," and automatically she began picking out the tune on the guitar.

"Oh, I love that song," Amy said.

"What about when you think of me?" Callie asked intently.

"Boy, you're the girl with a thousand questions today . . .", Nancy said quietly, looking at Callie seriously and strumming randomly. Finally she sighed, "I don't know, Strawberry – I'll have to think about it for awhile."

"How did you and HM meet?"

"We met at the airfield, where else," Nancy replied, her gaze becoming unfocused as she remembered, "The first time I saw him, he was staring at Aunt Bea, but I couldn't help but notice his eyes. I can get lost in those big brown eyes."

"I don't think he was starting at the plane, Nan," Amy corrected, "Face said HM was smitten with you from the moment he laid eyes on you."

"Did you fall in love with him, right then, too?" Callie asked.

"No," Nancy said, looking at Callie with a little smile, "I didn't even know his name, then."

"Well, then when . . . when did you fall in love?"

"I don't know," Nancy said, scenes from their early relationship flashing through her mind – the first few frightening days, when she couldn't seem to get him out of her head, her departure to Chicago, and her unplanned return on Thanksgiving day, she sighed, "I guess, if I had to pick a defining moment it would probably be when he forgave me for running away."

Amy looked at Nancy and smiled, "That was a heck of a Thanksgiving, wasn't it?"

"No doubt," Nancy agreed, "And at the time, I had no idea what I was getting into."

"I told you," Amy said certainly, "Once you meet the A-Team, your life is never the same . . ."

Callie was still focused on Nancy's answer to her question, "You ran away?" she asked incredulously.

Nancy smiled, "Yea, well . . . it's kinda long story, Strawberry . . ."

Callie sat back, her curiosity was peaked, "I don't got nothin' else to do," she said crossing her arms.

"You _have _nothing else to do," Nancy corrected.

Callie just continued to sit there expectantly, and Nancy sighed, "OK, let's see, HM was working as a mechanic at the airfield at the time . . ."

"I thought he owned the airfield?" Callie interrupted.

"This was before he and Doc became partners," Nancy explained, "That just happened a few months ago. Anyway, I told you I saw him there that one day, but I didn't actually meet him until about a week later, when he was getting ready to work on Aunt Bea . . ."

About half an hour later, Callie blew out her breath, "I didn't know you could run away _to_ home," she said, "That's not really running away, is it?"

Nancy shrugged, "That all depends on what you're running from," Nancy said, "At the time I thought I was running away from what HM made me feel . . . it didn't really work though. Even in Chicago I couldn't escape the fact that I was falling for him."

"Feelings aren't a place," Callie said practically, "How can you run away from them?"

Amy laughed, "She's got you there, Nan."

Nancy raised an eyebrow, "At least I only ran to Chicago – you ran all the way to Jakarta," she said with a knowing smile.

"Touche," Amy said, shaking her head.

"What?" Callie asked in confusion.

"Another long story, Cal," Amy said dismissively.

"The point is," Nancy said seriously, "running away is never the answer. I'm just lucky HM took me back – I could have lost him."

"Not a chance," Amy said, "He was head over heels for you already. If you hadn't shown up at the Compound that night, HM would've hopped a flight to Chicago and hunted you down."

"One of the few times in our relationship that I've beaten him to the punch," Nancy said ruefully, "The truth is that the only thing that kept me from bolting that night, besides Maggie's little pep talk, was the fear that if I did, I'd never see him again. Luckily, it was stronger than the fear of actually _seeing_ him again."

"But you woulda found somebody else," Callie said matter-of-factly.

"I think I could search a lifetime and never meet anyone that I could love as much as I love HM," Nancy said reflectively, "and I almost threw it all away out of fear."

Callie looked at Nancy piercingly, "What were you afraid of?"

"Letting someone in," Nancy said, returning Callie's direct look, "It takes a lot of courage to allow someone to get that close to you. It means letting down your guard and making yourself vulnerable . . . maybe getting hurt. HM is much braver than I am, especially when it comes to things like that."

"HM is an amazing person," Amy agreed, "If it wasn't for his and Hannibal's intervention that day, Face and I would probably still be dancing around each other, both afraid to make a move . . ."

"It's hard to believe that it's only been a little over three years," Nancy said thoughtfully, "It feels like a lifetime . . .," she smiled, "I suppose in some respects it is. It was my lifetime before . . . now it's ours. There's no separation. Like that Shawn Colvin song . . .," Nancy strummed and sang, "_Nothing in particular and everything in between, that's what you mean to me. Only you and only me, climbing in the right direction, on the way to everything . . .,_" she trailed off.

"You're right, Nan, it was a defining weekend," Amy said, then chuckled, "But then, I don't know, Christmas was pretty interesting . . ."

Nancy laughed, "That _is_ another story!"

Amy sighed as she looked at her watch, "Yea, but that one'll have to wait 'til another time – Jonny and I need to get going."

Nancy stood, too and whistled, bringing the dogs running with a winded Jack close behind, "We'll walk back with you – it's almost time for lunch anyway."

When they got back to the house, they got Amy and Jonny off, then Nancy turned to the kids, "What do you think about a plane ride and a picnic lunch?"

Callie and Jack both screamed "Yea!"

Murdock felt guilty going behind Nancy's back, but he wanted to know what was going on. Who was 'Carson' and what did he have to do with Nancy's nightmares? He had stopped and seen Carl Clay, Nancy's father, first thing this morning. Unfortunately Carl had looked at him blankly at the mention of Carson. That served to peak Murdock's curiosity, and the only other person he could think of who might know was Trixie Martin, Nancy's best friend. She was on break between semesters at the college, so he had called from the airfield and asked if he could come see her. Now he was sitting in the Martin's kitchen, and not getting anywhere.

He sighed, he'd been trying to convince Trixie to tell him who Carson was for the last 15 minutes, and she was steadfastly refusing, "Come on, Trix. Obviously, you know what this is all about – just tell me who Carson is."

Trixie took her time drying the dish she was holding, and finally turned and looked at him, "HM, I can't – you need to talk to Nancy about it."

"I've tried," Murdock said irritably, "She's never mentioned anybody named Carson."

"It should come from Nancy and if she's not talking, neither am I," Trixie said certainly, "I'm sorry, HM. You gotta understand – her Dad doesn't even know."

Murdock slammed a frustrated fist on the table, causing Trixie to jump, "Damn it Trixie, I know, I already asked him," he stood suddenly, mumbling, 'sorry' as he turned and walked out of the kitchen afraid if he stayed he'd just vent more of his frustration on Trixie.

He practically ran down Joe, who was just coming home for an early lunch.

"Hey, Murdock, what's up?" Joe asked.

Murdock barely acknowledged his presence, walking on by and out the door, allowing it to slam behind him and gripping the porch railing to keep himself from lashing out. Something was very wrong with his wife, and he couldn't seem to get any answers.

Inside, Joe looked after him curiously, and glanced at his wife who was standing in the kitchen watching on with concern, "What's wrong?"

"Nancy has been having the nightmares, again - HM says they've been getting steadily worse ever since the run in with Kennedy," Trixie said uneasily, "I don't know how he knows, since she won't talk about it, but he was asking . . . who Carson is."

Joe crossed his arms and looked at his wife worriedly, "Nancy never told him what happened . . . ?" he asked.

Trixie shook her head, "And I'm not going to be the one to do it."

"Jesus, Trixie, if Nancy's having nightmares again, than something is wrong. Murdock needs to know."

Trixie shook her head stubbornly, "This is between them, Joe. Murdock should be asking Nancy these questions."

Just then Joe and Trixie's two children came running into the room, greeting their father enthusiastically, and successfully cutting off further conversation.

Joe extracted himself from the kids and turned to join Murdock out on the porch. Trixie put a hand on his arm, "Joe, don't, let HM go talk to Nancy."

"Murdock should at least know what he's walking into, Trixie," Joe said with conviction, walking through the door.

Trixie watched through the screen as her husband put a comforting hand on Murdock's shoulder, "C'mon, HM, let's go grab a bite to eat and talk."

Les walked into the family planning clinic and smiled as the same routine from the day before was repeated, though this time with a different person.

"I'm not a patient," she said, setting the clipboard she'd been handed back down on the desk, "I was in here yesterday, looking for a woman," she indicated the card and photocopied picture sitting on the credenza behind the woman.

The woman turned and picked up the packet, looking at the photo, "Not a very good picture . . ."

Les held out the original, which was in color, "Maybe this will help."

"Yea," the woman said, nodding her head, "I remember her . . . she came in for an appointment a week or so ago."

Les could hardly hide her excitement, this was the first solid lead she'd had, "Did she leave an address or a telephone number?"

"Well, she would have filled out the normal information," the woman said, "So I'm sure that information is on file."

"Could I see . . ."

"Absolutely not," the woman said irritably, "That is confidential information – I can't just go passing it out to every Tom, Dick, or . . . Harriet that comes asking."

Les sighed, she'd been afraid that would be the answer, "Can you at least tell me if you expect her back?"

"Of course, she's on regular appointments," the woman said snidely.

Les grimaced, that meant a stake out, "Thanks a lot."

Murdock and Joe took a seat at a rear booth in the bar and ordered a couple beers and burgers. They made small talk until their drinks came. Joe watched in surprise as Murdock slammed down a beer and ordered another – he'd never seen the pilot drink much, "HM, are you OK?"

Murdock looked at him directly, "No, I'm not. I'm starting to wonder if I should be committing my wife, and nobody will tell me what the hell is going on," his voice had risen as he'd spoken, and many heads in the bar had turned to see what was going on.

"I'll tell you what I know," Joe said calmly, "But you gotta calm down," he shook his head, taking a long swig of his own beer, "Nancy would be pissed if she knew . . ."

Joe sat looking into the amber liquid in his glass, trying to decide where to start. He put the beer down and leaned forward, "It was about . . . mmm . . . 10 years ago. No, not quite, let's see," he smiled slightly, "It was just before Trix and I got married, so that would be about 9 years ago. Anyway, I guess the exact time frame isn't really that important . . ." he picked up his beer and took another long draw.

Joe seemed to be casting about for a way to start, "How much has Nan ever told you about her schooling?" he finally asked.

Murdock sat back, taking a deep breath to keep his frustration in check, "I know she has a Human Psych degree from University of Chicago, took a couple semesters of Law, went to Quantico – what does that have to do . . ."

Joe shrugged and interrupted, "Nothing, directly, except that it kind of helps understand the circumstances . . . Nan probably told you she left Law school because she didn't like it," Murdock nodded, "Yea, well that's not entirely true, she was recruited by the FBI, and decided that she was more interested in that than in pursuing her Law Degree. See she'd done an undergraduate thesis on the development of a formal database for criminal profiling."

Their food was delivered, then Joe continued, "Her timing was really good – the FBI was just looking at developing a project to setup just such a database, on a national level. They were impressed, Nan had a natural talent for profiling and the guys who had started the formal program approached her about joining up. She jumped at the opportunity, and that's when she came to Langley."

"She breezed through the standard training, and was beta testing the profiling training that the FBI was planning to add to the curriculum. At the same time, we were dealing with a serial rapist in the greater DC area. We requested FBI aid with developing a profile of the perp – Nan was in on that work, and that's actually when I met her."

"You met Nancy before you met Trixie?" Murdock asked with interest, he'd never heard much about how Trixie and Joe had met.

"Yea, Nan introduced me and Trixie. Nancy asked Trixie to come in and consult on the case, you know her specialty is crime scene analysis. Together they were a pretty formidable force. Based on their analysis of the evidence, Nancy predicted that escalation was going to occur, we had a good rounded picture of the perp and we were able to develop a short list of suspects."

"It was a high profile case, all over the papers, but suddenly our perp seemed to have given up and Nancy started questioning the profile she'd developed. Things were quiet for about 4 months . . . everyone kinda forgot about it, and the case dropped to the back burner. Then we had a break. A couple kids found a body in the woods – turned out it was a dump. There were three bodies in all. He hadn't disappeared, he'd escalated as predicted and we now had a serial killer on our hands."

Joe drained his beer and motioned for another, "I don't know how much you know about serial criminals, but they are always planning their next attack. They stalk their next victim, learn their habits, plan to the nth degree. By the time we found the bodies, he already had his next victim in his sites . . .," he looked at Murdock ruefully, "it was Nancy."

"He'd seen her picture in the paper in relation to the case, and decided that she'd make the perfect example of his superiority. It was 8 days after we discovered the bodies that Nancy disappeared. We figured, based on the forensics evidence from the three dead women that we had 48 to 72 hours at the outside before he killed her."

Murdock's brow furrowed, "How did you know he had her?"

"Oh, he made sure we knew – it was a challenge of sorts. Him against the best the FBI had to offer. And in the balance, the life of the woman who had profiled him."

"How long . . ." Murdock started to ask.

"74 hours," Joe said without hesitation, "We had pretty much given up hope of finding her alive."

"What happened?"

"I don't really know, the perp, an Andrew Carson, was killed during the arrest, so there wasn't a lot of followup. Nancy spent two weeks in the hospital afterwards. She quit the FBI right after that and went to work for Riley," he chuckled humorlessly, "I guess the profiling thing had lost its allure."

Murdock felt sick to his stomach, "I can't believe this . . . she never mentioned it . . ."

Joe shook his head, "Nancy had a lot of trouble dealing with what happened. She refused to go to a psychologist – said she'd had enough of them as a kid. I think Riley was probably the best thing that could have happened to her – he really pulled her through the worst of it."

"Explains why she's so dedicated to him," Murdock said, then sat forward, "Actually, it explains several things . . . like her and Brett . . ."

Joe nodded, "They'd been seeing each other pretty seriously for a few months. Afterwards, Nancy developed a rather . . . self-destructive tendency. Brett tried to convince her to quit, even asked her to marry him. In the end, he couldn't hack it. He told her if she was intent on killing herself he wasn't going to stick around and watch. It pretty much ended their relationship."

Murdock sat back from his untouched sandwich, trying to absorb what he was hearing, "The kidnapping with Kennedy did cause her to regress, just like she said," Murdock said quietly, "I just didn't have a clue what she was regressing to."

Nancy, Callie, and Jack arrived at the old grass landing strip about 11:30. It was a cool day, so they were dressed warmly. The leaves on the trees in the woods beyond the meadow were beginning to get the first tint of color. The sky was full of white and grey clouds that would periodically part and allow bright sunlight to stream down.

Callie was ecstatic about getting to hold the controls, "That was so cool, Nan! When do you think I could learn to fly all by myself?"

Nancy chuckled, "First, there's a lot of stuff you need to learn . . ."

Jack tugged on Nancy's shirt, "What's this place for?"

"This is just a little grass strip for refueling crop dusters . . ."

Callie was tugging on her other arm, "How long will it take?"

Jack was also asking another question, "What's a crop buster, Nan?"

"Whoa you two, I can only carry on one conversation at a time . . .," she turned back to the plane and pulled out the picnic basket, "How 'bout we eat our lunch?"

They talked and laughed all through lunch, then packed up the trash and put the basket back in the plane and went for a walk along the grass strip to the tree line. As they wandered down the tree line, they collected colorful leaves, enjoying the periodic bursts of sunshine that filtered down through the light canopy. After about a half hour, Nancy herded Callie and Jack back to Aunt Bea and they headed back to the airfield. Nancy allowed Callie to hold the controls again.

After landing at the field, Nancy took the kids through the post-flight check, which bored Jack, but seemed to hold Callie's attention.

She closed the hood, and turned to the kids, "Let's go in and see if HM is here . . ." she suggested.

Inside, Steve smiled in greeting as Nancy walked up to the counter, "Hey, Nan. Hi there, Callie, Jack. Have a good flight?"

"I got to fly Aunt Bea, twice!" Callie told Steve enthusiastically.

Nancy glanced behind Steve to the office, "Where's HM?"

Steve shrugged, "Haven't seen him since early this morning. He said something about having some errands to run . . . and then a training session at the Compound this afternoon. Said he probably wouldn't see me 'til later today."

"Thanks, Steve, guess we'll try to catch up with him at the Compound."

Murdock was getting dressed in the locker room at the Compound when Face came walking in, "Hey, Murdock, you're a little early . . ."

Murdock looked up, and Face's brow furrowed with concern at his expression, "What's wrong?"

Murdock didn't even know where to start, "I don't know what to do, Face," he said quietly.

"Do about what?" Face had expressed concern to Hannibal about whether Murdock could handle the pressure in his life right now – it wasn't looking good.

Murdock didn't respond right away, wondering if it was even something that he should talk to Face about. But when it came right down to it, he needed to talk about it, and Face knew him better than anyone.

"It's about Nan . . .," he started, but stopped abruptly when one of the recruits came in to change, greeting them quietly.

Face took Murdock's arm and led him out of the locker room and into the office, shutting the door behind them, "OK, now out with it, what's wrong? Is Nancy sick?"

Murdock had commenced pacing in circles, clenching and unclenching his fists. His attitude worried Face – he hadn't seen this Murdock in some time, and when he had, it never turned out good. He knew his friend had a violent streak in him that he carefully hid and controlled, but sometimes there were triggers that let it out.

He reached out and put a hand on Murdock's shoulder to stop his pacing, "HM, what's wrong? Is something wrong with Nancy?"

Murdock stopped and ran both hands through his hair in agitation, "Not in the conventional sense of the word, no," he looked at Face desolately, "You know how I've been trying to figure out what's goin' on with Nan and these nightmares . . ."

"Yea?"

"Well, now I know, and I don't even know how to begin to deal with it," Murdock said. He dropped into a chair.

Face sighed, "I need a little more to go on than that, Murdock."

Murdock looked out the window for a full minute before turning to his best friend and stating flatly, "Nancy was kidnapped by a serial rapist/murderer about 10 years ago. It was 74 hours before the authorities found her. I don't know what happened to her in that 74 hours, but it had to be bad – she spent two weeks in the hospital afterwards."

Face looked at Murdock in shock, "When did you find this out?"

"Joe just told me," Murdock replied, "This all happened shortly after Nan moved to Langley . . . it's why she left the FBI . . . it's what came between her and Brett . . . and it's gotta be why what happened with Kennedy has affected her so badly."

"They usually offer therapy after something like that . . ." Face ventured.

"Joe said she refused – had enough of shrinks as a kid," Murdock said, then leaned forward, "What I really don't understand is why she never told me?"

Face shook his head, and sat down in another chair facing Murdock, "I don't know, but you gotta talk to her about this Murdock."

"And how exactly would you suggest I go about that," Murdock asked helplessly, "'Hey, Nan, wanna talk about getting raped?' I can't seem to come up with an opening line that doesn't make me wanna puke."

Face shrugged, "But you know, better than anybody, that she's gotta talk about it – it's the only way she'll ever deal with it."

"I know, I know," Murdock said, shifting agitatedly in the chair.

"Are _you_ OK, Murdock?" Face asked.

"I haven't felt like this in long time . . .," he said, clenching his fists again, "Like I wanna beat the shit out of somebody, or vice versa."

At least Murdock recognized it, that was the first step, "Vice versa _was_ the norm," he said smiling, hoping to lighten the pilot's mood, "'course that's just because you were always picking fights with Marines that were bigger than you."

Murdock smiled at him wanly, but wasn't that easily distracted, "I've lived with this woman for almost 4 years, Face . . . how could I _not_ know about this?"

Face shrugged, "It's not an easy thing to talk about . . ."

Murdock stood and started pacing again, "I know, but . . .," he shook his head, "I thought we'd gotten beyond the running away thing. She's not taking off to Chicago, but she's shuttin' me out, Face. Why?"

"Nancy's not running away from you," Face said calmly, "she's just having trouble dealing with whatever happened. We all know how that is."

"I just don't know if I really know her anymore," Murdock said miserably, "Maybe we rushed into this marriage – I mean we sort of dived into the deep end without gettin' our feet wet first . . ."

Face sighed, he had been the one who had raised that concern when Murdock had first asked Nancy to marry him – after they'd only known each other for a few weeks. But anyone could see that it had been the right decision, "C'mon, Murdock, you're over-reacting to this. You and Nancy are fine – don't turn this into more than it is."

"No, Facey, I mean it," Murdock said quietly, "It's symptomatic . . . the first three years of our life we were barely in the same town together and now that that's changed . . . I don't know," he ended, looking at his hands, as if they would help him get his chaotic thoughts in order.

"So, what," Face asked incredulously, "are you saying that you wish you weren't married? Because guess what, Murdock, you are, and not only that but you've got twins on the way. This is a hell of a time to have second thoughts!"

Murdock looked at Face in surprise, "I didn't say that . . ."

"Well, it sure sounded that way," Face said harshly, "Get a grip, Murdock. This isn't about you. It's not even about you and Nan. It's about something horrible that happened to Nancy long before you came along. The fact that she didn't tell you about it is irrelevant. She needs you to be there for her, not running out on her!"

"I wouldn't run out on her," Murdock said quietly, "I love Nan more than anything . . . I'm just afraid I won't be able to help her through this . . . and I'm not sure she wants me to."

"You're a lot stronger than you've ever given yourself credit for, HM," Face said seriously, "As for whether Nan wants your help or not . . . like a lot of other things in her life, she may not really want to admit it but she needs the help. The trick is going to be getting her to accept it."

The door opened, and an irate Hannibal walked in, "What are you two doing in here?" he demanded, "You've got a room full of recruits waiting on you."

"We were just on our way out," Face said calmly, continuing matter-of-factly, "Murdock needed to get something off his chest – otherwise he woulda messed some recruit up, and we don't need a lawsuit," he slipped past Hannibal and out the door, knowing that Hannibal wouldn't let Murdock go without getting the story, "I'll take care of getting the class started."

Murdock went to follow Face, but Hannibal stopped him with a hand on his chest, "What's goin' on, Captain?"

"It's nothing, Colonel," Murdock said evasively.

Hannibal closed the door, "Face doesn't drop hints like that casually, Captain, now out with it."

Murdock sighed, "It's about something . . . that happened to Nan a long time ago," he looked at Hannibal ruefully, "I'm not sure she'd really want you to know about it . . . I don't even think she wanted me to know about it," 'obviously, dummy,' Murdock thought to himself, silently cursing Face for leaving him at Hannibal's mercy.

Hannibal looked in Murdock's face searchingly, "You found out about the serial killer, didn't you?"

Murdock looked at Hannibal in surprise, "You know about it?"

Hannibal shrugged, "Just what I read in the papers," he said, "When you started seeing Nancy, I did a background check on her, just as a precaution. It came up then."

Murdock's look turned accusing, his fists clenching again, "Why didn't you tell me, Hannibal?"

Hannibal shrugged, "I didn't really think it mattered," he said honestly, "Does it?" his blue eyes were piercing as he held Murdock's gaze.

Murdock let out the breath he had been holding, "No, I guess it really doesn't," he finally agreed, though the tension still showed in his stance.

Hannibal nodded, "Listen, Murdock, I know things have been kinda rough for you and Nancy for the last few months," he stopped, considering his words carefully, "Just remember why you're together . . . you two are good for each other."

"Like I told Face," Murdock said defensively, "I love Nan – I'm not going anywhere."

"I didn't mean to imply you would leave her," Hannibal said, "But, Murdock, you know the self-destructive thing can't be allowed to happen. That's what I'm worried about. You're no good to anyone when you get like that, remember?"

Murdock sighed, "Yea, OK, Hannibal," he said slowly, his posture finally relaxing, "I'm just worried about Nancy and I don't know what to do about it. It's very frustrating."

Hannibal nodded, "So, go take some of that frustration out in the self-defense class," he suggested, "But don't take it out on yourself."

"I won't," Murdock said, his face finally relaxing into his usual easy grin, "'Sides, there aren't any muscle-bound marines around to goad. I think I'm safe."

"Perhaps," Hannibal said, sensing that the crisis had passed, "But a couple of those recruits could kick your skinny ass. Just don't go there."

Murdock and Face had just finished a strenuous workout in self defense and hand to hand combat as part of a training session with the recruits, when Callie ran into the gym with Nancy and Jack following close behind, "HM, Nan let me hold the controls. I flew Aunt Bea all by myself!"

Murdock scooped her up with a big grin, "Before you know it, you'll be flying circles around me, Strawberry!" He leaned down and gave Nancy a kiss in greeting.

Face chuckled, "Make him proud, Cal," he said warmly.

Callie looked at him, her face beaming. Suddenly her expression blackened, and she looked at Face in horror. She struggled out of Murdock's grasp, and hid behind Nancy.

"What's wrong, Callie?" Nance asked, taking in the ashen face with concern.

Callie glanced out at Face like he'd just sprouted another head, and clung to Nancy's arm.

Nancy glanced up at Face – he was dressed in shorts and a tank top. His expression was confused, usually Callie adored him, so this reaction was very strange.

She knelt down in front of Callie, "C'mon, what is it, Cal?"

Callie pointed to Face, "His arm," she said vaguely.

Nancy looked up, "You mean his tattoo?"

Callie nodded and Jack piped up, "Yea, I see it, it's just like Cuttey's."

Nancy motioned for Face to come over, "Are you sure, Callie? Cuttey has a tattoo _just_ like this?" Callie nodded.

Face raised an eyebrow, "That means he was Special Forces."

Face bent down and looked at Callie earnestly, "Callie, this tattoo doesn't mean that I'm a bad guy. Me, Hannibal and BA all have this tattoo. All it means is that we were in the same division of the Army."

Callie looked at him uncertainly, then looked over at Murdock, "But, I thought HM was in your unit, too. Why doesn't he have a tattoo?"

Murdock smiled, "Sharp as a tack, she is," he said proudly, "I was in airborne, Cal. Technically, not Special Forces."

"I'm still the same person, Cal – you don't need to be afraid," Face said intently, "Still friends?"

Callie smiled tentatively, "Yea, OK – sorry I freaked out. I really don't like Cuttey."

"I get that impression," Face said with a smile.

Nancy stood, and put a hand on Callie's shoulder, "Cal, why don't you take Jack out and play on the obstacle course – I'll be out to get you in a minute. And stay away from the shooting range," she added loudly to the retreating backs.

Nancy turned and looked at Murdock, "Are you done for the day?" she asked hopefully.

Murdock glanced at her uneasily, "No, I, uh, I gotta go to the field, why?"

"Sherry Evanston called this morning," Nancy said, "She wants me to come into the office, said she's been trying to get hold of me . . . not sure why she didn't try the cell," she added absently, then looked up at him, "If you've still got things to do, I can see if Maggie could watch the kids for a little bit."

Murdock nodded, "That would probably be best – will you be OK going to see Ms. Evanston alone?"

"She just wants an update on our search for Juanita - I think I can handle it, HM," Nancy looked at him curiously, "Are you OK?"

"Yea, I'm fine," he said quickly, "Just got a lot to do," he leaned down and gave her a kiss, "See ya later, Short Cake."

Nancy watched after him curiously.

Face was going to follow Murdock, and Nancy grabbed his arm, "Face, what's up with HM?"

Face shrugged noncommittally, "He's just worried about you, Nan . . ." he said, quietly adding, "the nightmares have him a little freaked out."

"Oh," Nancy said quietly, looking down from the direct gaze.

Face sighed, "You need to talk to him, Nan. You'd both feel a lot better if you just talked about it."

Nancy smiled tightly, "Easier said than done . . ."

Face decided he wasn't going to push it, but as he turned to follow Murdock out, Nancy stopped him again, "Face, could you . . . would you check into this Cuttey thing for me. So far I haven't even been able to get a real name for him, and I think he may be the key to finding Juanita. Maybe you'll have better luck through military channels."

"Sure, I'll let you know what I can dig up."

Nancy dropped the kids off with Maggie, who was watching Jonny already. Callie loved having a baby around to play with, and immediately took possession of the baby boy. Nancy told Maggie she'd be back in a couple hours and headed into town.

At the Children's Services offices, Nancy stopped at the receptionist, who sent her straight up to Sherry Evanston's office. She knocked on the door and walked in and took the seat that Sherry indicated with a wave of her hand, "Mrs. Murdock, I really appreciate you coming in today."

Nancy smiled, "Please call me Nancy - Mrs. Murdock makes me feel old."

Sherry returned the smile, "OK, Nancy, can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Nancy said, "What is it that you needed, Sherry?"

"I wanted to find out what progress you had made finding Juanita Temple."

"To be honest," Nancy said, "I'm getting a bit frustrated. I really didn't think it would be this difficult to locate her. We finally got a concrete lead though, so I'm optimistic," she added, thinking of her conversation with Les just a little earlier. She smiled to herself, Les had been less than happy about having to sit on the clinic.

Sherry nodded, her face reflecting a true concern about Juanita - more than just a casual or business relationship would warrant.

Nancy sat forward, "If you don't mind, could I ask you a question."

Sherry shrugged, "Sure . . ."

"Why are you so interested in Juanita Temple? I mean I can understand you wanting to keep the family together, but your interest seems a bit out of proportion . . ."

Sherry sighed, "I've known Juanita since we were teenagers," she admitted.

Nancy nodded in understanding, "So you're friends, that explains a lot."

Sherry shrugged noncommittally, "I'm not sure I'd call us 'friends' - I just feel kind of responsible for her. She hasn't gotten a lot of breaks in her life. I've tried to help where I could."

"What can you tell me about her?" Nancy asked.

Sherry folded her hands, "Not much, really . . ."

"Sherry, anything you could tell me would help. I've found that the more you know about a person, the better your chances of finding them."

"You find a lot of people?"

"Yea, it's become something of a specialty. We handle quite a few missing persons cases."

Sherry considered Nancy seriously, then finally started explaining, "Juanita moved into my neighborhood towards the end of my 6th grade year. Her Dad was Special Forces and not long after they moved here, he was killed during training maneuvers."

"Her Mom never really got over it, and things got pretty bad for her at home. By the time she was 14, she was basically running the streets full time. She got pregnant when she was only 17, and her Mom kicked her out for good. My Mom was always helping kids out, and she took Nee in. Callie came along just after her 18 birthday."

Sherry shifted uneasily in her chair, "My Mom died of cancer about 6 months later. Mom made me promise that I would keep an eye on Nee and Callie," she looked at Nancy through hurt eyes, "I was only 18, and my Mother was more worried about this screwed up girl and her kid than she was about me. I . . . I understand it now, but at the time, I couldn't see straight through my grief. Nee and I ended up having a huge fight, and she took off. I didn't see her for the next 4 years, while I was away at college. Then one of the first cases I got after I started with the State was Juanita."

She sighed, "I felt so guilty . . . I hadn't done what my Mother had asked. I hadn't taken care of Nee and Callie and now they were on street. Well, anyway, you know the basics of the rest of the story. Nee's been in and out of bad relationships ever since – she seems to be attracted to . . . overbearing men."

"Overbearing," Nancy said questioningly, "or abusive?"

Sherry shrugged, "Both," she admitted, "I can usually tell – Nee ends the relationships with the overbearing ones. Callie effectively ends the relationships with the abusive ones by running with Jack. It's a cycle that's been going on ever since Jack was born. I had been checking in regularly, but Nee disappeared without leaving a forwarding about a year ago, and I hadn't been able to locate her or the kids – until you showed up with Cal and Jack. Since they ran – it's a pretty good indication that Nee's in one of her abusive relationships again."

Sherry sat forward, "Listen," she said hesitantly, "Nee called me yesterday."

Nancy looked at her in surprise, "Where is she?"

"I don't know," she said dejectedly, and proceeded to relate the basics of her conversation with Juanita, "She sounded really scared – I don't know what she's gotten herself into, but it sounds bad."

Nancy had pulled out her case book and was taking notes. Her finger moved up over her notes from the previous day, "Did Dr. Lyons call you . . .?"

Sherry's look hardened, "Yes," she said angrily, "I knew there was something Callie was holding back . . ."

Nancy nodded agreement, Callie wasn't trusting and she had a feeling there was a lot she wasn't telling them, "I'm betting it's this Cuttey that Juanita has been living with. I'm slowly getting a picture of a person that is rather . . . disturbing."

"Do you think Juanita is in danger?" Sherry asked worriedly.

"Possibly," Nancy said noncommittally, not wanting to worry Sherry unnecessarily, "the best way to help her now, is to find her."

Dealing with the Devil

Cuttey drugged Ledley and headed back to his home. He took him to his house, in the early hours of the morning, dragging him through the garage entrance and settled him into his bed, giving him one more dose of the psychotic for good measure before leaving. He then returned to the cabin, meticulously cleaning everything and leaving it immaculate.

He arrived at his apartment a little after 6am. He undressed and crawled into bed with Nee. He woke her out of a sound sleep and enjoyed himself for a half hour or so, releasing the last of his pent up energy. Afterwards, he headed to the shower, leaving Nee quietly sobbing in the bed. Frank had called. He was due to meet with Con Smith at 8am and he was curious to see what they wanted.

After leaving Sherry the day before, Nancy had picked the kids up and headed home. The evening had passed quietly enough, with Murdock getting home late from the airfield, just in time to put Callie and Jack to bed and heading to bed himself. She'd stayed up for awhile, watching TV, avoiding going to bed and getting pulled into a discussion about her nightmares with her husband. By the time she did go to bed he was sound asleep, or at least pretended to be.

When she woke up in the morning, Murdock was already gone, and Callie and Jack were watching cartoons in the living room. She wandered into the kitchen and ate a bowl of cereal and was just putting her dishes in the sink when the phone rang and she picked it up, "Hello?"

"Nancy, it's Les, just wanted to check in . . ."

"Hi, Les," Nancy said quietly, "Anything new on Juanita?"

"Actually, I just got off the phone with the PD, a patrol near Mi Mama's reported seeing a woman fitting her description at a bus stop, but when they approached her she bolted and they couldn't find her."

"Damn," Nancy said in frustration, "I talked to Sherry Evanston, too and Juanita called, but wouldn't tell her where she was. Said something about 'he'd find her' – I'm assuming she means Cuttey. He's the key. He's the one we should be concentrating on."

"Well, I'm fresh out of leads," Les said, "I'll hang at the family planning clinic, but if she's spooked, I doubt it'll do much good."

"Persistence . . ." Nancy said leadingly.

"I know, I know," Les said, "I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"Thanks, Les!"

Murdock pulled his truck up on the lift, "All set, BA?"

BA nodded, "Yea, man, that good. Set the emergency brake."

Murdock complied and got out, watching as BA hit the lift and raised the truck into the air. He walked under the truck, "Yea, look here, your pads are worn – I'll hafta pull the rotors. If they need work, it could take me a couple days."

"See what you get into," Murdock said, "If I need to I can have Nan come pick me up. I'm here today, anyway – Hannibal's got me working on the specialty training plan today."

BA nodded, and ducked out from under the truck, wiping his hands on a rag, "I'll let you know what I git into," he said, "How's things goin' with the kids?"

"With the kids, they're goin' just fine," Murdock said simply.

"You not yourself today, crazy man," BA said in concern, "What's goin' on?"

"I'm just worried 'bout Nan, big guy," Murdock said with a shrug, "She's been having really bad nightmares, and on top of everything else . . . it just seems, I don't know, like nothin' is goin' right lately."

"You 'n Nan'll get through it," BA said encouragingly, "You always have. Heck, if you can handle findin' out Stockwell's part o' the family, everythin' else oghta be gravy."

"You'd think so, wouldn't ya?" Murdock said doubtfully.

"C'mon, man," BA said, clapping him on the shoulder, "You always the optimistic one. Where's your faith?"

"Guess I've been runnin' a little short on that lately," Murdock said sullenly.

"Things'll look up soon," BA said certainly, "Takes lots o' lemons to make lemonade, right?"

Murdock looked at BA in surprise, "Is that wrench monkey philosophy?"

"Naw," BA said, "That crazy man philosophy - ev'ry once in a while I do actually listen to what you sayin'."

Murdock smiled at BA gratefully, "Thanks, BA – really."

"Any time, Murdock," BA said, grinning.

"Hey, maybe I could help you – we could commune over the breaks on my truck," Murdock said, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes, he picked up a wrench and turned to BA making an expansive gesture, "We could be simpatico, BA. You and me, wrestling the beast of machinery, conquering the insidious wear of time, mastering . . ."

"Man, get outta my shop," BA said, taking a threatening step towards the pilot, "We ain't 'conquering' nothin'. All you'd end up doin' is bustin' somethin'!"

"Awe, c'mon, BA," Murdock said, holding the wrench out to fend off the advancing mechanic, "I thought we connected there . . ."

"Only thing I gonna connect with is my fist with your face," BA said irritably, grabbing the wrench out of Murdock's hand, "Now git, and don' come back 'til I'm done."

Nancy sighed in exasperation, "I understand, Joe. But do you honestly think Kennedy would risk being slapped back in jail without bail to come after _me_? I'm not even a material witness."

Joe was sitting at his desk in the police station, getting more frustrated with each passing minute – this conversation which had been continuing for 10 minutes now, was going nowhere, "No, I don't think he'd chance it personally, but he's definitely going to turn up the heat. Don't you understand that this isn't about you being a witness?"

"Calm down, Joe . . . I promise I'll be careful. I'm not working that much right now, and we're headed out of town this weekend. I'll be fine."

"I'm going to increase patrols past your house, Nan," Joe said, "But I can't afford to set someone on you full time."

"I don't need a babysitter," Nancy said in irritation.

"So I suppose it's out of the question getting a couple Ables to shadow you . . ." he suggested tentatively.

"Absolutely out of the question – Stockwell Enterprises is short-staffed as it is."

"At least start carrying your gun with you."

"Good bye, Joe," Nancy said with finality and hung up the phone.

"Nancy," Joe said, then louder, "Nancy . . ." he heard the click in his ear, and slammed the phone down.

Brett looked over from an adjacent desk, "I told you, you should have just called Murdock."

Joe stood up and holstered his gun, "Obviously this is going to require some face to face discussion. I'll see you later, Brett."

"Sure you don't need some backup?" Brett asked facetiously, grinning, "Nan can be a handful when she's pissed, and she hates being clucked after. I should know," he added, almost to himself.

Brett watched Joe leave then picked up the phone – someone should tell Murdock.

Meanwhile, the phone had rung as soon as Nancy hung up from talking to Joe. Jazz was on the line, and she was sounding hysterical, "Nancy, Grant's getting out of jail – what am I going to do?"

"You're going to calm down," Nancy said firmly, "Kennedy isn't allowed to come near you."

"He doesn't play by the rules, Nan," Jazz said, her voice higher than usual, "Oh, God, what about Terra? What if he takes Terra?"

"Jazz, please calm down," Nancy repeated, "Listen, you've got a surveillance detail – it's been on you and Terra ever since Kennedy went down. Just as a precaution. Kennedy can't get near you without endangering his own case."

"A surveillance detail?" Jazz asked in surprise.

Nancy silently thanked her Uncle for that – he was the one who had set the detail – 4 Ables – around the clock surveillance, "Yes, surveillance – if you'd like I can have them make their presence a little more obvious . . ."

"Thank you, Nancy," Jazz said, her voice finally dropping back to its normal pitch, "I feel much better just knowing I'm not alone."

"Mr. Cuttey – good to see you," Smith said, motioning Cuttey to a chair, " We had your handiwork checked out and Frank said that you did a fine job with this last assignment."

Smith nodded to Frank, who handed Cuttey a thick envelope, "You'll find your payment in there along with a hefty bonus."

Cuttey thumbed through the bills then closed the envelope again, "Thanks, Mr. Smith."

Smith smiled, "Please call me 'Con'," he said, "I know you just got back . . ."

"Just this morning," Cuttey said, "Haven't really gotten to sleep yet."

Smith nodded, "I appreciate that, but I wanted to make a proposal to you . . . something for you to sleep on," he nodded to Frank, again, and Frank put a fat manila folder in front of Cuttey.

Cuttey looked at the folder then up at Smith, "What's this?"

"Just for your consideration," Smith said, sitting back and taking a drag on his cigarette, "You ever heard of Grant Kennedy?"

Cuttey shrugged, "Sure, who hasn't – but he's in jail, right?"

Smith considered Cuttey through narrowed eyes as he let out a stream of smoke, "Yea, well, from the sounds of it, not for much longer," he said, "and he's hot to get even with the chick that put him there – that's where you come in. Kennedy wants her to suffer . . ."

Cuttey smiled coldly, "That shouldn't be a problem . . ."

"Not so fast," Smith warned, "This chick's got muscle – her husband and his friends were Special Forces – and Kennedy has something special in mind. He wants her husband taken, not her, at least not right away. The details are in the file. Nobody's taken on the contract so far, precisely because of his background – but Kennedy's upped the ante, and I think I have just the man for the job," he smiled at Cuttey suggestively.

Cuttey was tapping his finger on the file, and flipped it open. On the top was a photo of Murdock in dress uniform, and Cuttey picked it up, raising an eyebrow, "This the guy you're after?"

"Yea, a Captain HM . . ." Smith began.

"Howlin' Mad Murdock," Cuttey interrupted, and gave Smith a calculating look, "this isn't just any special forces unit – this is _the_ A-Team you're talkin' about messin' with. This isn't gonna be cheap."

"Does that mean you don't want the job?" Smith challenged.

Cuttey smiled, "Oh, not at all, but it's going to take more than just me – if we're going up against the A-Team, I'm going to want some hand-picked men to help me with the project, including Jimmie. What are you willing to bankroll?"

Smith glanced at Frank, before replying, "Mr. Harrington can be put at your disposal. As far as the money goes, how 'bout you give us a ball park on whatcha need, and we'll go from there."

Cuttey picked up a pencil from the table and started jotting numbers and notes down on the back of his pay envelope, considered what he'd written, then looked at Smith, "A quarter mil up front should get us started – I'll have to let you know from there."

Smith nodded, and Frank disappeared out the rear entrance, returning a few minutes later with the cash, which he handed to Smith.

Smith flipped through the bills, before holding the money out to Cuttey. Cuttey reached out to take it, but Smith didn't let go, "Just a friendly warning, Mr. Cuttey – don't fuck with me. I expect you to deliver. And if you don't I will find you – and I'll make sure that I extract every cent invested, in one way or another. Do we understand each other?"

Cuttey nodded, but if Smith had hoped to see intimidation, he was disappointed, "Don't, worry, Mr. Smith, you'll get your money's worth. By the way, my fee for this little project is another mil, above and beyond expenses. I'll bring you Murdock's and his bitches' head on a platter, but you better damn well have my money when I do."

Cuttey stood and walked out of the room by the rear entrance. As he entered the kitchen, Sep called to him, "Hey, Cuttey – hey man, I been wantin' to talk to you."

Cuttey stopped and waited while Sep made his way over to him through the bustling kitchen, "Hey – there was a PI chick in here the other day askin' after Nee," He reached in his pocket and pulled out the card, handing it to Cuttey, "thought you'd like to know. Don't know what it's all about – said she was a 'friend'."

Cuttey took the card, and smiled as he looked at the names on the card, particularly the typed one that was crossed out, "Thanks, Sep – I owe you one," he said. Turning and walking out the door he said to himself, "Merry fuckin' Christmas to me."

After hanging up the phone with Jazz, Nancy had gone out on the back porch and opened the gun safe. She was loading a clip for her Glock when Callie came wandering out.

"What's the gun for?" Callie asked in concern.

"Just a precaution," Nancy said lightly.

Callie continued to watch with interest as Nancy loaded the clip. Leaning forward she asked hopefully, "Do ya think you could teach me how to shoot?"

"I doubt that the state would look favorably on a foster parent teaching their charge to shoot a weapon," Nancy said with a slight smile.

Callie crossed her arms with a "humph" and Nancy snapped the last bullet into the clip and loaded the clip into the gun. She glanced thoughtfully at Callie, then turned the gun so she held it in her palm with the barrel directed at the ceiling. Holding it out towards Callie, she pointed to the safety, "See that," Callie nodded, "That's the safety, it's on right now. The gun shouldn't fire with the safety on . . . go ahead and take it . . ." Callie took the gun, the barrel pointing towards Nancy.

Nancy put a finger under the barrel, and redirected it to the ceiling, "The first, and most important rule with a gun – never point it at a living thing that you don't intend to kill."

Callie shrugged, "But you said the safety was on . . ."

"Never point a gun at a living thing that you do not intend to kill," Nancy repeated.

Callie looked at her in consternation, "But I thought you just, like, shot at their arms or their legs, so they couldn't get you . . ."

Nancy took a deep breath, "This is very important for you to understand, Callie – _Never_ point a gun at a living thing that you do not intend to kill. You never know what could happen, guns misfire, triggers get touchy – you don't take chances with a gun. If you point it at something, you can expect that something to get blown away, either intentionally or by accident. Understand?"

Callie nodded, and Nancy took the gun from her, "That's it for today's lesson," she pulled her shoulder holster out and sighed, saying almost to herself, "And just where does Joe expect me to carry the damn thing . . ."

Callie was still standing there, "Don't I get to shoot it?"

"You can shoot the gun the day you bring me a paper with 'I will never point a gun at a living thing that I do not intend to kill' written on it, by hand, 100 times," and smiled at the scowl that crossed Callie's face, "Don't look at me like that – it's a simple enough assignment. If you want to learn to shoot, then first you have to prove that you have some discipline."

"But what if I need to protect myself . . . or Jack?"

Nancy looked at Callie in surprise, "Don't you feel safe here, Cal?"

Callie shrugged, "Sure, it's just, you know . . . like you said, 'a precaution'. So can I shoot the gun?"

"Not until you bring me that paper, like I said," Nancy replied sternly, then she smile and motioned back in the house, "Now, go get your brother, and let's take Billy and Ginger back to the pond for some exercise."

Murdock's jaw tensed, "Thanks, Brett, I really appreciate the call."

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked from the kitchen.

Murdock looked up as he hung up the phone, "Kennedy is out, and he's turning up the heat on the contract for Nancy."

"I thought they put him away without bail as a flight risk?" Jeff said in confusion.

"Yea, well, when you've got money and dirty lawyers, eventually you'll find a judge you can intimidate," Murdock said sourly.

"I gotta get home," He said turning towards the door. He stopped short, "Shit, I forgot, BA's got the truck up on the rack."

Jeff walked out of the kitchen, "I'll take you."

Murdock and Jeff pulled in the drive right behind Joe, who raised a hand in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Murdock asked curiously.

"You're wife hung up on me, so I decided to come try to reason with her in person," Joe said in good-natured irritation, "I take it Brett called you."

"Yea."

The three men walked into the house together, noting the silence. Murdock's eyebrows furrowed, "Nancy? Callie?" A quick search of the house revealed that no one was around.

Murdock turned to Joe as they regrouped in the kitchen, "You just talked to her, right?"

Joe nodded, "I came straight here when I hung up – couldn't have been more than 20 minutes ago."

Murdock walked out the back door, with Joe and Jeff close behind, and noticed that the dog kennel was open, "Hang on, Billy and Gin aren't in the kennel . . ." he whistled, and they heard a chorus of barks off in the distance, behind the house.

"I think they just took a walk out back," Murdock said in relief, "Hey, you guys can take off – I'll stay home the rest of the day."

Joe nodded, "I'm going to increase patrols out here, HM. But like I told Nan – I can't afford to put anyone on her full time."

Murdock nodded, "Thanks, Joe," He looked over at Jeff, "Jeff . . ."

"I'm on it, Murdock – I'll talk to Zeb and Temp as soon as I get back to the Compound," He grinned at him, "Are you going to tell Nancy?"

Murdock considered the question seriously, "I think I'll have to. We can't afford to lose any Ables right now . . . and once she realizes she's got a tail, she's liable to shoot 'em."

Murdock got back to the pond and watched for a few minutes. Nancy was sitting on an old log while the kids threw the stick into the pond for the dogs. He walked up behind her silently.

Without turning, Nancy said, "Joe called you, didn't he?"

"How did you know it was me?" he asked as he walked around to the front of the log and sat down next to her, answering her question as an afterthought, "Actually, Brett called."

Nancy nodded, then answered his question, "I heard you whistle – figured you'd be back."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Nancy finally sighed, "I just don't want a fuss."

Murdock nodded, "I know, Nan, but . . . ," he searched for the right words, and finally settled on, "I don't want to take any chances."

"I know . . .," she said, she'd been thinking about it for the last couple days, "maybe a surveillance detail _is_ in order," she admitted grudgingly.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he said in relief, "Jeff is already getting the wheels moving."

Nancy nodded, "It'll make Les and Riley feel better, too. They've been taking turns calling me every couple hours while you're gone for the last day and a half."

Murdock looked at her sharply, "But Kennedy was just released today . . . ?"

Nancy licked her lips uncertainly, looking over at the kids through narrowed eyes, "Well, Les might have heard something that had her a little concerned . . ." she admitted grudgingly.

"And when did you plan to tell me about this?"

Nancy looked at him guiltily, and he exploded, "You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

She shook her head slightly, and Murdock crossed his arms in exasperation, "What is up with you lately?" he asked angrily, "I thought we were in this together? You know me – your husband? The father of your children? You've got to stop shutting me out, Nan."

"_That's_ why I wasn't going to tell you," Nancy said reasonably, "You over-react."

"_Over-react_? I do not over-react," he argued, "I just have to react enough for both of us!"

"You're proving my point," Nancy said reasonably.

Murdock was pacing agitatedly, and stopped to look at her, sitting there as if she didn't have a concern in the world. His mind wandered back to when they had first met – he'd found that trait rather attractive then, and had to admit he still did, even if it infuriated him at times. She seemed so fearless.

He knelt down in front of her, "Nan, please, you have to understand," he caught her gaze and held it, taking her hands, "This package here – these three people right here – it's my world. Beyond my wildest fantasies, and I've had some pretty wild ones. I can't lose that. I . . . I really don't think I could handle it."

Nancy put her arms around him and they sat that way for a few minutes. She finally sat back and looked at him, "I promise, I won't try to ditch the surveillance. I'll be careful."

He smiled in relief and sat down next to her, "Thank you."

Cuttey pulled his baseball cap further down over his sunglasses. Seemed like the cops were everywhere. He stopped unobtrusively near a couple of flatfoots that were apparently swapping shifts.

"Yea, they spotted her here yesterday, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of her today," the one patrolman said to the other, "I have to of circled this area 20 times. Wild goose chase, if you ask me."

"What's with all the interest in this Temple woman anyway?" the other patrolman asked.

"What I heard was her kids are in state custody, and they're afraid she's got some maniac for a boyfriend that's keeping her locked up," he shook his head, "I heard through the grapevine that Stockwell Enterprises is involved somehow – _that's_ why it's such a priority."

Cuttey moved away down an alley. So, Nee had been out of the apartment. He'd fix that. By the time he got back to the apartment, he had worked himself up, and slammed the door to the apartment angrily. Nee came out of the bedroom to see what was up, but before she could react to the fury she recognized in his eyes, he had backhanded her, sending her crashing to the floor, "I told you to stay in the apartment, bitch."

"I had to go out and get groceries," Nee defended weakly, tasting the blood in her mouth.

"O'Grady's delivers, I told you that," Cuttey said angrily, kicking her viciously in the midriff and causing her to double up.

"I . . . I forgot," Nee gasped miserably.

"Well we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen again," he said coldly, picking up the phone and dialing Harrington's cell.

Ethan Johnson looked at Lumpy as they unloaded the last of the parts into the warehouse, "Tell me again, why we had to bring this stuff here? I thought we were mechanics, not delivery boys."

Lumpy shrugged, "Hey, man, pays the same either way. What you gettin' all huffy 'bout?"

Ethan looked around the old warehouse and shifted uncomfortably, "Hey, Lumpy, where's the john?"

"Through that door, back wall of the building by the office, but make it quick, huh," Lumpy replied, "I wanna get back to the shop – I'm itchin' to get my wrench on that Jag they brought in today. Seems a shame to chop up such a sweet ride."

Ethan wandered back through the door Lumpy had indicated, finding himself in another large room. Along the back wall he saw the office, which had a main entry hall with a large plate glass window looking out into the warehouse. To one side was a stair case that went up to a second floor that apparently ran the length of the back of the building. Below it was an old door, barely visible in the dim emergency lighting. On the other side of the entry to the office was another door. Neither was marked, so Ethan headed for the first one.

He knew immediately when he opened it that it was the wrong one. It led to an old cut stone staircase, and he could feel his bile rising at the smell that came up the steps. Like something had gone down there and died . . . maybe a lot of somethings. He quickly closed the door and hurried over to the other side of the office, opening the other door and finding the light in the bathroom.

When he got back out, Lumpy was pacing agitatedly by the truck, "C'mon, man, we gotta get outta here. Mr. Harrington was pissed when he saw we was still here."

Ethan looked over as he got into the truck, seeing Mr. Harrington standing there with the same guy that had come and taken the cab that he and Lumpy had outfitted just a few days ago, "Who is that guy with Mr. Harrinton, anyway?" he asked curiously.

"Man, I don't know, and I don't wanna know . . . know what I mean?" seeing that Ethan was still watching the two men with interest, Lumpy punched him in the arm to get his attention, "First lesson in this line o' work, E – the less you know the better. Don't go askin' a bunch o' questions. It'll just get you in trouble."


	5. Part 5

Resolving Some Problems – Discovering New Ones 

The next day, Jazz called and asked if Callie and Jack could come with her and Terra to the children's museum in DC, hoping the activity would take her mind off of Kennedy's release. School was going to start soon, and she figured an educational day at the Museum would help get the kids in the right frame of mind.

Nancy had some errands she needed to run, including a stop at the police station to talk to Brett. So, after dropping the kids off with Jasmine, she headed into the Langley PD.

"Hey, Brett," Nancy said, walking up to his desk, "You got a few minutes to talk?"

Brett stood up, "Anything for a beautiful lady," he said, grinning, "Let's go find an empty conference room."

In the conference room, Brett closed the door and took and seat at the table with Nancy, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nancy had pulled her case book out and flipped it open, "What can you tell me about Constantine Smith?"

Brett's jaw tensed, "I hate it when you start askin' me questions like that . . . why do you wanna know?"

"Let's call it curiosity," she said with a shrug.

"Killed the cat . . ."

"C'mon, Brett, you're a public servant – serve me up some info."

"Well, you know, it's funny you should ask about Con – see we have reason to believe that he's in tight with _Kennedy_," Brett said looking at her intently.

It was Nancy's turn to tense, "OK . . ."

Brett let her stew for a minute, then sat forward, "Con Smith was a small-time hood, until about 4 months ago," he looked at Nancy pointedly, then continued, "He started taking over Kennedy's east side territory, which was turning heads in the local mob circles, but nobody was making a move. We'd managed to get hold of Con's old partner, and were in the process of getting him to turn states evidence . . ." Brett paused.

"Is he dead?" Nancy asked.

Brett shook his head, "Nope, but all of a sudden he clammed up tight. He disappeared for a few days, and when he reappeared, he wasn't talkin'. I don't know how Con got to him, but I'm sure he did. Anyway, before the silent treatment, Ledley told us that Con was trying to find somebody that would take on the Murdock contract – said that Kennedy was making it very attractive."

"Word on the street is that Con's found a taker, Nancy," Brett said earnestly, "That's why it's so important for you to have protection."

"Don't worry, the Ables aren't letting me out of their sight," Nancy said, tapping her pen on the case book, "Any word on who's taken the contract?"

Brett shook his head, "Nope, all the narks are clammed up – apparently, the threat is that if you talk to the cops you're gonna get the 'Ledley treatment' – whatever that is."

"Ledley's messed up pretty bad?"

"Not a mark on him, that I could see," Brett said.

"Strange," Nancy said thoughtfully.

"Tell me about it," Brett said, "I had Ledley in here for a whole day trying to figure out what the hell happened. I couldn't get anywhere."

They sat quietly for a minute, when Nancy suddenly blurted, "Brett, when are you going to tell Jazz about you and Les?"

Brett grunted and crossed his arms, "Not that it's really any of your business, but, I plan on telling her tonight," he said, then shook his head and sighed, "I've been trying to come up with a way to let her down easy and every time I've gotten close, something happens and I don't do it. I don't want to hurt her . . ."

"I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to be nosey . . ."

"Yes you did," he said with a knowing smile, "You can't help but be nosey. It's in your nature."

Nancy looked at him, ready to argue, but decided against it, "It's just – Jazz is vulnerable right now and I don't want to see her slip back into her old life-style."

"Why do you think it's taking me so long," Brett said irritably, though Nancy took it as irritation at the situation, "If you hadn't pushed me into taking her out, I wouldn't be in this position."

Nancy looked at him in surprise, "I _pushed_ you? I don't think that's fair."

"All because that husband of yours can't stand it when I'm around," Brett said petulantly, "What, did you really think he'd get over it if I had a girlfriend?"

"You're the one that causes the problems," Nancy said angrily, "You're always doing something to egg HM on – and trust me he doesn't need any incentive where you're concerned."

Brett was smiling at her like the cat that swallowed the canary and Nancy sighed, she had risen to his bait, "It was all so long ago, I can't figure out why he can't just let it go . . ."

Brett's smile faded, "It may have been a long time ago, but sometimes . . . sometimes, when I see you, it feels like just yesterday," Brett said candidly, "especially after what happened with Kennedy."

"What happened with Kennedy wasn't anything like that . . .," she said sharply, trying to convince herself, as well as Brett.

"But it could have been," Brett interrupted, "And don't tell me that you haven't thought about it. Joe told me you've been having the nightmares again."

Nancy stood and paced, "It's my problem, Brett, not yours."

"Damn it, Nan, when are you going to understand that what happened didn't just happen to you," Brett said impatiently, "It happened . . . happens, to everyone around you – everyone who cares about you is affected. You can't just hope it'll go away, because it doesn't. It sits inside and it festers until it tears everything apart. I let you do that to me, and as much as it pains me to admit it - I don't want to see you do it to Murdock."

"Nothing is going to tear Murdock and me apart," Nancy said quietly, "It's an entirely different situation . . ."

Brett walked around in front of her, and looked her in the eye, "If that's the case, then why haven't you ever told him about what happened with Carson?" he asked directly.

Nancy looked at him in surprise, "It just never really . . . came up," she said weakly.

"Bull shit," he said vehemently, "I know it had to come up, otherwise why would he be asking Joe about it?"

Nancy's jaw dropped, "HM talked to Joe about Carson?"

"Yes, and Joe told him everything," Brett said, "He thought your husband had a right to know."

"Jesus," Nancy breathed, "When?"

Brett turned back to the table, "Couple days ago . . . I take it flyboy hasn't talked to you about it?"

Nancy shook her head in disbelief, "Why didn't he just come and ask me?"

Brett looked at her with a slight shake of the head, "My guess is he probably tried."

Brett turned and walked out of the door, throwing over his shoulder, "You should go home . . . and talk to your husband."

Murdock had just returned from a flight lesson with Steve, who had managed to negotiate a temporary leave from the grocery business for while Doc was away, "Basically, Dad told me that if this was really what I wanted to do, then I should give it a chance. But he also said that if I decided to go back to the grocery store I could. Guess he's decided he can't force me into anything, but the guilt thing sure does work."

"You gotta make your own life, Steve," Murdock said understandingly, "But what you decide has a definite impact on your folks. Just remember, that what they want more than anything is for you to be happy – so make sure that you don't do something just for somebody else. That includes your Dad and me!"

Steve smiled, "Dad said basically the same thing, only he threw in the financial security thing."

Murdock chuckled, "Definitely a consideration, but not the end-all, be-all . . ." Murdock's voice trailed off as he noticed that Nancy was sitting in the office, "Steve-o - if you have things covered here – I've got a visitor."

"Sure thing, Murdock."

He entered the office, "Hey Short Cake," he said, leaning down with his hands on her shoulders and kissing her cheek, "This is a nice surprise . . ."

Nancy looked up, and the expression on her face stopped him, "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he sat down slowly in the adjacent office chair.

Nancy looked down at her hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap, "You . . . know . . . about . . . Andrew Carson . . ." she said slowly, looking at him with an expression somewhere between accusation and fear.

Murdock looked her directly in the eyes, "Yes . . . I . . . do," he mimicked her tone perfectly.

She hesitated before asking, "Why did you go to Joe? Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I think you know the answer to that," he said, sitting back, and trying to carefully gage her state of mind.

"But you never asked _me_ specifically about Carson," she looked at him thoughtfully, "and just how did you know to ask about Carson, anyway?"

Murdock ignored the second part of her statement, choosing to try to lighten the mood somewhat, "Now _that_ is two semester's of Law school talkin'."

He succeeded somewhat, as she relaxed, a little, "That . . . and being the daughter of a lawyer," she agreed with a slight smile, then looked at him with raised eyebrows, "But you still didn't answer my question . . ."

He shifted in his chair, "I, uh, I found your . . . nightmare log. And sorta . . . read it," he admitted ruefully.

Nancy's gaze became unfocused, wondering how he had found that, then she remembered, "I did leave it out the other night," she said, adding thoughtfully, "Maybe subconsciously I wanted you to find it . . ."

"I thought you weren't a Freud Fan," Murdock said, smiling.

She shrugged, "I think the whole penis envy thing is a crock of shit. But some of his other theories aren't without merit."

They sat quietly again, until Nancy broke the silence, "What did Joe tell you?"

"Not much," Murdock said with a shrug, then looked at her, "But a heck of a lot more than you have," he sighed, "I thought about trying to pry some more out of Trixie, but she refused to talk to me about it at all."

"It wouldn't have done you any good," she said, "Trix doesn't know any more about it than Joe does."

Murdock looked at her in surprise, then understanding dawned, she really hadn't talked to anyone about it, "Trixie did say that your father doesn't even know . . ."

She looked at him, and he could see the stark terror reflected in her eyes. She suddenly stood, crossing her arms so it looked almost like she was hugging herself, "Nobody knows what happened," she said quietly, gazing unfocusedly out into the bay, "It was between me and Andrew Carson."

She shrugged, "I would have told you, eventually."

"Are you sure about that?"

She was caught off guard, "I think so . . .," then she looked at him directly, her voice challenging, "So, now that you know, do you feel sorry for me?"

He returned the direct gaze, he knew that was a loaded question, "No, I don't feel sorry _for_ you," he said easily, "I do feel sorry for what happened . . . kind of."

The last part caught Nancy's attention, "Kind of?"

Murdock shrugged, "Well, the way I figure it, if this hadn't happened, you'd probably still be with Katt, and I wouldn't have even gotten a shot. Purely selfish on my part, you understand," he looked up at her, smiling tenderly.

Her face relaxed into a smile, "As I've told you," she responded with amusement, "there was no one defining reason why Brett and I broke up. Though I have to admit that the Andrew Carson thing probably ended it a lot more quickly and cleanly that it would have ended otherwise. Trust me, it still would have ended."

Nancy was quiet for a few moments, "Did you tell Hannibal?"

He clenched his jaw, "I didn't _tell_ Hannibal . . ."

"He already knew," Nancy said nodding her head, "No surprise there. He doesn't let much get by him. What about Face and BA?"

Murdock looked at her repentantly, "I had to talk to somebody, Nan."

"I guess it had to come out eventually," she said resignedly.

Murdock took that admission as an invitation, "I wonder if you could explain one thing to me . . ."

"Just one?" she asked facetiously.

"Well, OK, let's call it a place to start," he said, then looked at her curiously, "Why did you leave the FBI – that seems . . . out of character."

Nancy's eyes flashed at the mention of the FBI, "I didn't have any choice," she said irritably, "Do you know how many women worked at the Bureau when I started there? When this happened, they started acting like . . . like I couldn't do my job. If I'd stayed, I would have been a paper-pusher the rest of my life. I couldn't do that – I didn't want that."

Murdock nodded in understanding, "and Riley – I'm guessing he took the whole thing in stride."

Nancy nodded, "Riley didn't give a shit what had happened to me – he told me so when I interviewed – of course it had been all over the papers, so he knew who I was," she smiled at the memory, "At the end of the interview, I was laying it on thick, you know, top of my class at Quantico, psych degree, law classes, I could do anything, but the truth was I really needed the job. My departure from the FBI was rather . . . sudden, and I was running out of money. He told me, and I quote 'I don't give a shit if you're the next fuckin' Sherlock Holmes – PI work sucks, and to be good at it you gotta be persistent. You must be pretty fuckin' persistent if you wanna keep in this kinda business after what you been through.'"

"It was his way of offering me the job," she said with a shrug, "Riley was the only one who didn't treat me like I was broken," she added quietly, "It was what I needed to get me through . . . the worst of it."

Nancy hugged herself, and looked out the window again, "I thought I'd dealt with it, but I guess when Kennedy grabbed me it brought it all back to the surface," she admitted, "I've been trying some of the tricks that the shrink taught me as a kid . . . so far none of it seems to be helping, much."

"Maybe what you really need to do is just talk about it," Murdock suggested tentatively.

Nancy didn't look convinced, "Maybe . . . I'm just not sure I'm ready."

"You gotta trust me that once you have you'll feel a lot better," he said earnestly, "You don't have to do it all at once, but whenever you feel up to it, you know I'm here – and I understand what you're going through."

Nancy smiled at him, "I know, trust me, I know – I just don't think I'm really ready."

Murdock stood up and walked over to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly, "You know, you're the bravest woman I've ever met," he said sincerely.

Nancy chuckled, "Hardly brave – I haven't even had the guts to tell my husband about the whole thing," she looked up at him apologetically.

"It's OK, Nan . . ."

But she continued, "Do you remember our first date . . ."

"You mean Charlie's . . ." he asked.

"Before that . . ." she was smiling, "You came to pick me up with a fist full of daisies and we talked while I was putting them in water . . ."

"Uh, yea, I remember . . ."

"I never told you how impressed I was that you brought up your residency at the VA so . . . quickly," she pointed at his chest, "_That_ is what I consider brave."

"Well, if we're going to lay all our cards on the table," he said ruefully, "I did that out of pure terror . . . I wanted to make sure, if you were going to reject me, it was _before_ I became too attached. I'd made that mistake once and I wasn't gonna repeat it!"

"And since you brought it up," he continued, looking at her lovingly, "Your response to that little revelation was what landed me, hook, line and sinker."

They kissed lingeringly, then Nancy gave him a final peck on the lips and pulled away, glancing up at the clock, "We gotta pick the kids up at Blanche's at 4 – will you be done here by then?"

"Yep, Steve's gonna watch things for the rest of the day," Murdock said, letting her go reluctantly, "I'll stop by home and pick you up about 3:30?"

"OK," she said, stopping with a hand on the doorknob, "and HM, thanks for not pushing it."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, "Sure thing, Short Cake. Just remember, I'm here if you change your mind about talking."

She nodded acknowledgement, and smiled as she left, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he responded.

Callie was enthralled by the practical demonstrations of Bernoulli's equation and the application to flight. She'd been poring through the literature available in the displays, and had fallen behind Jazz, Terra and Jack. The display was in a corner of a large room, where there were practical demonstrations of many of the more famous physical phenomena formulae. She was alone, but suddenly got the eerie feeling that she was being watched and turned, catching a brief glimpse of someone slipping behind an adjacent display. She shook her head, deciding quickly that she was imagining things as Jazz came walking around the corner and motioned to her, "C'mon, Cal, we're gonna head to the Deep Sea Room – Jack really wants to see the fish."

The Deep Sea Room lay in the middle of a maze of rough, eerily lighted winding halls that were reminiscent of underwater caves and reefs. Inside the room there was an enclosed submarine display with portals for looking into the central marine display from below, deep sea robot demonstrations with operational robots that could be controlled from various locations around the central marine display, and an exploratory vessel that you could enter and ride down into the marine display.

When they reached the main part of the room, Jazz, Terra, and Jack immediately got in line for the ride, which was where almost everyone in the room was. Callie declined, she'd never liked closed places, and the thought of getting in that little thing and going underwater really didn't appeal to her. Instead she headed to the submarine display, which was pretty much deserted.

She was watching as a robot was manipulated by someone out of her sight, trying to pick up a coin. She had been studying how the robot maneuvered, and was itching to get her own hands on the control. She turned to leave the display, and was unpleasantly surprised to find the two exits from the submarine both blocked, and Cuttey standing there, smirking at her, "Well, if it isn't Nee's little girl," he said quietly, "How are you Callie?"

Callie gritted her teeth, looking vainly for a way out. She walked towards the nearest door, but Cuttey blocked her way and grabbed her arm, "Now, not so fast, little girl . . ."

She looked at him fearfully, "What do you want from me? Why are you here?"

"Well, you see, it just so happens that you have something that I want . . ."

Callie's brow furrowed, "I don't got nothin' . . ."

"Ah, but you see that's not true," Cuttey said smoothly, "You've got the Murdock's as foster parents . . ."

She stiffened - what could Cuttey possibly have to do with HM and Nancy?

He didn't leave her in suspense, as there was periodically a thump on one or the other of the doors, and it wouldn't be long before that raised suspicion, "I need to come to the house, sometime when only the man is present – no visitors and no woman, just HM Murdock – do you understand?"

Callie shook her head, "Why . . ."

"It doesn't matter to you why," Cuttey said pointedly, "What matters to you is what'll happen to you and your little brother if you don't do as I say."

"Here," he handed her a card with a phone number on it, "Sometime, _soon_, when you happen to be home alone with the man, call this number," he shook her to emphasize his point, "I mean soon, and don't tell nobody. I'll be watching, count on it, and if you don't do what I say, not only will you and your brother pay, but so will your Ma, got it?"

Callie nodded miserably, "But you won't hurt HM will you?"

Cuttey laughed, roughly shoving her aside, "Just do as I say, and _you_ won't get hurt," he said warningly, then disappeared out the door.

Callie rubbed her arm where Cuttey had been gripping it, feeling tears sting her eyes. Just when she was getting comfortable and starting to allow herself to relax, something always happened to screw it up.

She didn't see any sign of Cuttey when she left the submarine. Jazz, Terra and Jack were coming down off the ride, and Jack came running over to her without a care in the world, "Cal, you shoulda seen it – it was sooo cool," he said, bouncing excitedly around her.

Callie nodded, "Glad you enjoyed it, Jackie," she said, thinking, 'Better not get used to the good life, kiddo, looks like we're gonna have to run again.' Unfortunately, she had no idea where her Mother was, and if they ran, there was no telling what Cuttey would do to her. This was going to take some thought.

Nancy and HM arrived at Blanche's around 3:50, to find that Jazz was already home. She came out of the little neighborhood row house and greeted them, "The kids were terrific – I didn't have to scold them even once," she said happily.

"You must have come home a little early," Nancy observed, "I was kinda worried . . ."

Jazz shrugged, "Callie was acting kinda like she didn't feel too good this afternoon," she said, "Mighta just been lunch didn't agree with her, but I didn't want to chance it, so I brought 'em home about 2:30. We still had a good four hours at the Museum, probably enough for one day anyway!"

HM was looking to the little back yard, which was filled with a trampoline. Terra and Jack were bouncing and playing while Callie sat quietly aside and watched.

Jazz followed his gaze and nodded, "She's been like that most of the afternoon – kind of withdrawn," she said worriedly, "Hopefully it's just a little upset belly . . ."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Jazz," Murdock said, "She's had a heck of a couple weeks, and I think she's still adjusting."

Nancy nodded agreement, "And thanks for taking Cal and Jack with you today, Jazz. I'm sure they really enjoyed it."

Jazz smiled, "Well, I know Terra appreciates the company and she and Callie seem to get along so well . . . they were no trouble at all, really."

As they talked they had moved to the back yard, "Hey, guys," Murdock called, getting Callie and Jack's attention, "It's about time for us to get going. We're gonna go get some pizza for supper then we'll see Jazz and Terra later at the LCC."

Jazz looked at Nancy solicitously, "You're sure you're up to practice tonight?"

Nancy grinned, "Actually, I can't wait. I'm not even gonna bring my guitar – I'll just let the kids do all the work."

Murdock put an arm around her shoulders, "But we did agree that you're gonna cut practice short – only an hour tonight, at the most."

"An hour is about all I can take," Nancy said, grinning, "It's tough keepin' up with those kids!"

Callie and Jack had disappeared upstairs as soon as they'd arrived home after supper, at which Callie had barely touched her food. This left Nancy and Murdock to their own devices. Murdock had ended up on the phone with Steve at the airfield, going over some things that Steve wasn't sure how to handle. So Nancy had pulled out her practice tape and headphones and sat in the living room humming quietly to herself with sheet music laid in front of her, as she learned some of the new material that Jazz was working on with the kids.

Murdock came up behind her, "What song is that – I don't recognize it . . ." he said putting his hands on her shoulders and looking curiously in her lap.

Nancy gathered up the sheets and held them against her chest, shaking her head, "Uh uh – it's a new one that I've been trying to learn. I think I'm ready to practice it tonight. It seems oddly appropriate, especially after today . . ."

"What do ya mean?" he asked curiously.

"You'll just have to listen tonight and see for yourself."

He patted her shoulders, sometimes it seemed like Nancy thought in song, "Well, if we're gonna go, we better round the kids up and head out – it's almost 7:30."

Upstairs, Jack was in Callie's room. She had taken a break from working on Nancy's 'homework', and the pages with 'I will never point a gun at a living thing that I do not intend to kill' were scattered all across her bed. Jack was sitting by her, with one of the sheets in his hand, watching her carefully inventory the supplies she'd been able to gather since she'd been here, two boxes worth of poptarts, a box of bandaids, several bottles of clean water she'd salvaged from the trash and cleaned and refilled, cans of various vegetables and beans, and a few fresh apples and oranges.

Jack fidgeted, "Cal, we don't have to leave, do we?"

Callie started carefully packing the supplies away into a bag and stashing them into the back of the wardrobe, "Not right now, but it's always good to be prepared," she said matter-of-factly.

Jack crossed his arms and pouted, "I don' wanna go anywhere. I like it here with HM and Nan – they're nice!"

"I like 'em, too," Callie admitted, "But sometimes things happen . . . we gotta be ready."

"Ready for what?" Jack asked petulantly.

"I don't know, Jackie . . ." Callie said looking out the window, "Hopefully nothing."

"Jack, Callie," Murdock called up the stairs, "C'mon guys, we gotta get goin'."

"We're comin'," Callie called down. She grabbed Jack's arm and looked at him severely, "Don't go tellin' Nan or HM about this – Promise me – pinky swear."

"OK, Cal," Jack said quietly, hooking the offered pinky with his own, "I promise."

They arrived at the LCC a little early. Terra came bounding up, and dragged a still-mopey Callie back to sit with the other kids, with Jack tagging along behind.

Nancy sighed, "Jazz is right," she said to Murdock, "Something is up with Cal, she's downright sullen tonight."

"Don't worry, Short Cake," Murdock said lightly, "She'll snap out of it with a good night's sleep."

"I suppose," Nancy said uncertainly. She wandered up to the stage, where Jazz was setting up her synthesizer, and seemed to be getting frustrated with an uncooperative cord. She suddenly smacked a fist into the side of the synthesizer and Nancy reached down and took the cord from her, pushing it easily into place.

Jazz looked at the cord accusingly, then glanced up at Nancy. Her eyes were watery and it dawned on Nancy that Brett had finally talked to her. She took Jazz's hand, "C'mon, let's go talk."

"It's almost time for practice . . .," Jazz protested weakly.

Nancy didn't even acknowledge Jazz's comment, just led her to Char's office, where Char was working on some end-of-the-day filing. She looked up curiously as Nancy and Jazz entered, and Nancy shut the door.

Nancy sighed as she turned and looked at Jazz, whose eyes were turning red, "Go on, Jazz, let it out," she said matter-of-factly.

Jazz's face crumpled, as she dropped into the nearest chair and started balling.

Char stepped around the desk, "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Brett . . . doesn't want . . . to see me anymore," Jazz said between sobs.

Char picked up the tissue box on her desk and held it out to Jazz, "It'll be OK, Jazz," she said soothingly, "Brett doesn't realize what he's lettin' go," she smoothed Jazz's hair and looked at Nancy questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Jazz," Nancy said quietly, "But you deserve to have somebody that's gonna love you – and obviously Brett isn't that person. Somebody better'll come along."

Jazz sat back, shaking her head. The sobs were gone, but tears were still running down her face, "Who's gonna want an ex-junky with a kid?" she asked miserably, "Obviously Brett didn't. What makes you think anybody else will?"

"Honey, nobody around here thinks of you as an ex-junky. Everybody makes mistakes in their lives," Char crouched and looked intently into Jazz's eyes, "Those mistakes don't define you, they shape the unique and wonderful person you are. Trust me, some great guy is gonna come along that can't resist that. You just need to be patient."

"Charlotte's absolutely right, Jazz," Nancy said, "Somebody will come along that will love you exactly because of the things in your life that you've overcome . . ."

The tears had stopped and Jazz wiped her face and blew her nose, then looked up at Char and Nancy gratefully, "Thanks, guys," she said sincerely, "I really appreciate it. It's just, Brett was the first guy that's even given me a second look since . . . well, you know. I've always hated the dating scene. Guess I was hoping I wouldn't have to go there again."

"I know what you're saying, Jazz," Nancy said with a sympathetic smile, "But you'll find somebody – probably in the most unexpected place. Just give it some time."

Jazz nodded and stood up, giving first Char and then Nancy a hug, "Thanks, really. I think I'm gonna hit the bathroom to freshen up a little before practice."

As Jazz left the room, Char turned to Nancy, "That damn Brett, anyway," she said irritably, shaking her head.

"You know we don't choose who we fall in love with, Char," Nancy said, feeling a need to defend Brett, "He didn't leave Jazz 'cause she's an ex-junky – he fell for somebody else. It happens."

Char raised an eyebrow, then she smacked her forehead, "Leslie, huh?" she asked, and when Nancy nodded, "I thought somethin' was goin' on there. Well, I hope they keep it quiet for a little while. I don't think Jazz needs that hanging out there too blatantly too quick."

Nancy nodded agreement, "Yea, I think Brett and Les will be discrete for awhile – they both like Jazz. That's what made it so hard."

About 5 minutes later they were back on stage and setting up again.

Murdock came up behind Nancy and put a hand at the small of her back, "Everything OK?" he asked, glancing over at Jazz who was setting mics for the horn players.

Nancy stood, stretching her back, "Yea – Jazz'll be alright. She just needed to let go," she said quietly.

Jazz turned and started towards them. Murdock leaned down and kissed Nancy on the cheek, "I'll get outta the way and let you get ready for practice . . . you holdin' up OK?"

Nancy smiled up at him, "I'm fine," they kissed again then Murdock walked off-stage.

Jazz looked after him, then turned to Nancy, "I hope I find somebody that loves me half as much as HM loves you," she said whimsically.

Nancy looked at her thoughtfully, "I hope you do, too, Jazz."

"You ready?" Jazz asked.

"Yea," Nancy said, "I was thinking maybe we could start with _Push_. I've been working on it and I think I'm ready."

"Sounds like as good a place as any . . ."

They all got set, playing a few chords and making sure everyone was in tune and ready to go, then started the Matchbox20 song:

_She said, I don't know if I've ever been good enough,_

_I'm a little bit rusty._

_And I think my head is cavin' in._

_And I don't know if I've ever been really loved,_

_By a hand that's touched me._

_And I feel like somethin's gonna give_

_And I'm a little bit angry._

_Well . . ._

_This ain't over, no not here,_

_Not while I still need you around._

_You don't owe me, we might change, yea._

_Yea, we just might feel good._

_I wanna push you around, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna push you down, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna take you for granted._

_I wanna take you for granted, yea, yea, well I will._

_I will._

_He said, I don't know why you ever would lie to me_

_Like I'm a little untrusting._

_When I think that the truth is gonna hurt ya._

_And I don't know why you couldn't just stay with me_

_You couldn't stand to be near me_

_When my face don't seem to wanna shine_

_Cuz__ it's a little bit dirty._

_Well . . ._

_Don't just stand there, say nice things to me._

_I've been cheated, I've been wronged._

_You . . . you don't know me_

_I can't change . . ._

_I won't do anything at all._

_I wanna push you around, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna push you down, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna take you for granted, yea._

_I wanna take you for granted, yea, yea, well I will._

_Oh, but don't bowl me over_

_Just wait a minute, well it kinda fell apart_

_Things get so crazy, crazy._

_Don't rush this baby._

_Don't rush this baby, baby._

_I wanna push you around, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna push you down, well I will, well I will._

_I wanna take you for granted, yea, yea, yea._

_I wanna take you, take you, yea, well I will . . ._

_I will. _

Nancy's eyes found Murdock and they gazed at each other, her look apologetic, his a little sad but understanding – coming to the silent understanding that everything was going to be OK . . . eventually.

They played several more songs, but did wrap up practice early.

As they were packing up, Jazz stopped Nancy, "I forgot with everything else . . . I wanted to thank you for the surveillance. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that there's someone keeping an eye on us," she shook her head, "It really freaked me out when I heard Grant was being released. How could that happen?"

Nancy smiled and patted her arm, "It'll be OK, Jazz," she said, "I think Kennedy will be smarter than to come near you," at least personally, she thought to herself. She'd talked talked to Zeb about the Able detail watching Jazz. He had started them on a routine sweep of her car, before travel, and her house, whenever she returned. He'd been concerned about Jazz going to the museum, but in the end, being such a public place, they had decided it was probably a safe outing.

"Just remember, Jazz," Nancy said seriously, "the fact that you're being surveilled doesn't relieve you of a responsibility to be careful. You and Terra, both, OK?"

"We'll be careful, Nan," she said certainly, "You need to be careful, too."

Nancy yawned uncontrollably as they closed the door to Jack's room, "I'm ready for bed, myself. How about you?"

Murdock grinned, "I'm always ready to go to bed with you, Short Cake!"

Within 20 minutes they were laying in bed winding down. Murdock was saying goodnight to the twins, who were active, as usual, upon hearing their father's voice.

He finally lay down next to Nancy, letting one hand rest on her belly, feeling the comforting squirming of the twins under his fingers. Nancy was lying looking down, where every once in a while the movement was large enough to see, a contented smile on her face.

Murdock brought a hand up and stroked her cheek, and Nancy looked at him and smiled, "I really enjoy these quiet times just before we fall asleep," she said happily.

"Me, too," he agreed, but his thoughts were wandering. He was glad that the whole Carson thing was out in the open now, but he was wondering how well he really knew the woman lying next to him. He sighed, his smile fading.

Nancy looked at him curiously, "What's wrong?"

He shrugged, "Nothing's _wrong_ really . . ."

She prodded him, "C'mon, give . . ."

He looked into the curious sky-blue eyes regarding him in the glow of the moonlight coming through the window, and answered truthfully, "I just can't believe that there is something so . . . _big_, that happened in your life that I wouldn't even have a clue about . . ."

Nancy's smile disappeared, too, "It isn't exactly something that comes up in every day conversation, HM. It wasn't like I was hiding it from you . . ."

"Then what was it, Nan . . . I mean I can understand that it's not a normal topic of conversation, but with everything that's happened in the last few months, I would have thought you'd mention it. It's not like I didn't give you opportunity . . ."

"You know, HM, I've never pressed you about what happened in the POW camp . . ."

"But at least you know about it!" he argued.

"And what about before that?" she asked, "Before the A-Team, before you joined the Army? What went on then?"

"CIA, you know, the Air America stuff – I've told you about it," he spoke lightly, but Nancy held up a hand.

"Yea – CIA – I know . . . I also know there's more to it than what you've ever talked about. Air America may have been where you started, but your involvement was beyond that," her eyes glittered in the dim light, as she looked at him shrewdly, "I know there's far more to your work at the CIA than just some innocent flyer dropping and gun smuggling."

Murdock stared at the ceiling in silence, and Nancy pressed again, "C'mon, Murdock – what's the story – what aren't you telling me?"

He looked at her uncomfortably, but didn't answer.

"I'll tell you what . . .," she said, sitting up and speaking earnestly, "I'll tell you everything significant that ever happened in my life until the day I met you, and you can do the same . . ."

"Is there something _else_ I don't know about?" he interrupted incredulously.

Nancy considered the question seriously, "Not that I can think of at the moment," she said slowly, then smiled slyly at him, "But I do tend to block."

"Don't play that game with me, Nancy Clay Murdock, I know it better than anybody," he said seriously, then shook his head dejectedly, "It's just that I thought I knew you better than this."

She reached out and touched his cheek, "You know me better than anyone else, HM," she said certainly, "You may not know my autobiography by heart, but you know _me_. I'm more than the sum of the things that have happened to me – Char said it to Jazz tonight, the things that happen to us don't define us, they shape who we are. What's important is who I am now. The rest is just history," she looked down at him affectionately, "please don't get hung up on the history. I've always loved the fact that you love me for who I am – that hasn't changed, has it?"

He smiled, "Of course it hasn't," he said, "I love you more every day – nothing will ever change that."

Nancy smiled and relaxed back down into his arms, "I feel the same way."

A curious expression crossed Murdock's face, "How much do you know about what I did with the CIA?"

A mischievous smile lit Nancy's face, "Well, you know, Uncle has _very_ complete files on _all_ of his employees . . ."

"Now that hardly seems fair . . ."

"All's fair in love and war, sweetheart," she said.

"So which is it, Love or War?" he asked flippantly, then looked at her craftily, "Does he have a file on you?"

She snorted, "Yea – know where I found it?" she asked, smoothly changing the subject.

Murdock shook his head, looking at her with interest.

Nancy grimaced, "In a drawer marked 'Rejected Candidates'!"

Vacation?

The next day, Murdock stayed home with the kids and started packing for their trip to Houston, while Nancy headed into the Compound to get a quick update on project status before going to see her Uncle.

Nancy met Hannibal, Face, and Zeb in the office, "So, whatcha got for me, guys?" she asked, dropping into one of the chairs at the little conference table in the office, and shifting, trying to find a comfortable position.

Zeb and Face exchanged a look that caught her attention, "Alright – out with it . . ."

"We've got a line on Cuttey . . ." Face said.

"Really," Nancy sat forward with interest, "So who is the mysterious Cuttey?"

Face looked at Hannibal, neither one of them had liked what he had dug up about the guy. Face opened the file on the table in front of him, and started in an analytical tone, "Horatio Lukjan, Fox 18, Assistant Operations Sergeant, 5th Group, 1966, dishonorable discharge April, 1968 – insubordination was listed as the reason. Received the nickname 'Cuttey' early in his career for an apparent fondness of knives – particularly effective in extracting information from enemy POW's."

Face turned a photo around, showing a young Cuttey, in uniform, "This is the most recent photo I could find of him. After his discharge, he returned to the US and disappeared – until now."

Zeb took up the story, "We updated all the local Ables on Cuttey's background and passed out the photo, asking that they keep an eye out for him . . . casually, nothing urgent," he sat forward, "He was spotted yesterday . . . at the Children's Museum."

"Where Jazz was, with the kids?"

Zeb nodded, and Hannibal looked at Nancy intently, "Jeff Kent and Arrol Lafferty were on, by the time they were directed to pick him up, he had disappeared."

Nancy took a minute to integrate the new information, "Did Jeff or Arrol see him talking to Callie or Jack?"

"No," Zeb said, "But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. They were intent on Jazz and Terra – they weren't really watching Callie and Jack."

Nancy's jaw tensed, "This is a rather curious development. Was he there to corner Callie and Jack, and if so, about what? Or was he shadowing Jazz and Terra?"

She sat back and explained her reasoning, "Les was at Con Smith's place a few days ago, and based on what she learned, Cuttey's definitely been working for him. And Smith and Kennedy are currently buddy-buddy. Do you see this as a coincidence?"

"No," Hannibal said certainly, "And I really don't like it that he may have had access to Callie and Jack yesterday. We need to talk to them . . ."

Nancy nodded, "Let me handle that – I'll see if I can get anything out of them. It could explain why Callie's been in such a pissy mood since yesterday. What it means to this whole mess has yet to be determined."

"The local Abels are all on the look out and have been instructed to bring Cuttey in on sight," Zeb said, "If he shows again, we'll get him."

"Perhaps we could enlist the help of the local PD," Nancy said thoughtfully, "I'll call Tyler and have him put out an APB on Cuttey – there's enough evidence to at least bring him in for questioning."

"The more eyes on the lookout the better," Hannibal said, "But you better warn Tyler, this guy should be considered armed and dangerous."

"Tell him he's probably dangerous _unarmed_," Face said quietly.

Callie finished straightening up her papers. She had finally finished the homework Nancy had given her, and was hopeful that she would show her how to shoot a gun.

As she stood, Jack came running in, "Cal, as soon as Nan gets back from the Compound, we're gonna go for a plane ride!" he said excitedly.

"What are you talking about?"

"HM says we gotta get packed, cause we're goin' on a trip on the jet."

Callie looked at Jack earnestly, "You said Nan's gone and just HM is here?" she asked.

"Yea, and HM said we gotta pack," Jack said in exasperation, "We're gonna go to Youston."

"But HM is alone downstairs, right?"

"Yea," Jack said, impatiently, "Sowhat, we're goin' on a trip – ain't you excited?"

"'Aren't'," Callie corrected automatically, fingering the card in her pocket. She came to a decision, she'd go downstairs first to make sure for herself before she called.

In the kitchen, she found Murdock talking to Maggie, "Thanks for comin' over early, Mags," he said gratefully, "I gotta head to the field, Steve said Neil's there and I need to go over a few things with them before Neil has to leave. Then I'll go meet Nan at the Doctor's office for her appointment. It's at 11 – so hopefully, if all goes well, we'll be back by 12/12:30."

"No problem, HM," she turned and smiled at Callie, "Hey, Cal, you and Jack wanna play a game of Parchesi?"

Callie shook her head, and without a word turned and ran upstairs, letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She'd dodged the bullet for now – she had a little more time to come up with a way out of this mess.

In the kitchen, Murdock watched her run out in consternation, "Sorry 'bout that, Mags, she hasn't been herself the last couple days . . ."

"She's probably just hitting puberty, HM," Maggie said, "Don't give it another thought."

Cuttey approached Nee, his look gentle, but his eyes their usual empty black, "C'mon, sweetheart, this'll help with the pain," Nee winced as he took her arm, more from fear than pain, "I'm sorry I got rough with you, but you had to learn your lesson."

He slid the needle into her arm with practiced ease, and watched as the narcotic took almost immediate affect, "There, isn't that better."

She nodded, her eyes drooping but still wary, "But why are we gonna live in a warehouse?"

"It's just for a little while," he said quietly, "Until the heat has passed. Then we'll find a nice apartment outside the city."

He lowered her back on the pillows of the roll-away bed that they had set up in one of the offices in the upstairs of the warehouse and walked out of the room. She'd be out for awhile. He locked the door behind him and smiled to himself. This was just a precaution, he couldn't have them finding Nee, he'd lose his snitch in the Murdock household. And he was still hoping he could make good on that plan.

Murdock strode into the waiting room at Dr. Phillip's office, where Nancy was sitting waiting for her appointment.

He dropped into the chair next to her, "Are they backed up today?" he asked curiously.

"Doesn't look too bad," she said, shrugging, just as the nurse opened the door and called her name.

She picked up her specimen bottle and headed into the office with Murdock right behind her.

Nancy put her sample on the counter and dropped the rest of her stuff, then stepped back out into the hall where the nurse took her weight. Then she went into the examining room, where the nurse had her sit on the table and took her blood pressure. Then she had Nancy lay back and lift her shirt so her belly was exposed. Using the Doppler, she located the babies' heartbeats. Then she cleaned off Nancy's belly and helped her sit up, "The Doctor will be with you shortly," she said as she left.

Nancy sighed, "I think my weight was up some," she said hopefully.

"Good, hopefully your blood pressure isn't," Murdock said quietly.

They didn't have to wait long before Dr. Phillips was knocking on the door, "Well, how are we doing today?"

"Maybe you should tell me . . .," Nancy said uncertainly.

Dr. Phillips smiled, setting the folder down on the desk, and stepping up to the examining table, "Let's just check this blood pressure number . . ." she said, taking the blood pressure cuff and checking it herself.

She released the pressure, and pulled the stethoscope out of her ears, looping them around her neck as she put the cuff away, "129 over 80 – much better. And you actually have gained a pound since Monday. Hopefully more than just water weight. So, how are you feeling?" She looked at Nancy solicitously.

Nancy's expression relaxed, "Pretty good, though I'm still having the Braxton hicks contractions. They don't hurt, they're just annoying."

Dr. Phillips smiled, "They're just your body preparing itself for the delivery," she said, "And whatever you've been doing this week is working. Your blood pressure looks good. The twins have been active?"

"Yes."

"Good. And their hearbeats are good," she flipped the folder shut, "So, what are your plans for the coming week?" she looked at Nancy expectantly.

"Well, we were planning on heading out of town for a long weekend in Houston this afternoon . . . if you said it was OK," Nancy started tentatively, "and I've managed to, um, unload some of the work I had on my plate."

Dr. Phillips was nodding in approval, "Good, let's keep that up. The trip to Houston should be OK, but I do want you to continue to take it easy. Your blood pressure's down, but it's still not back to normal."

She stood and picked up the folder, "I'll see you next week – have a good trip, and try to take it easy."

For the next hour, they rushed about to get everything ready for their trip. Nancy settled the kids into their seats, "Now, you need to stay seated until HM tells you it's OK to unbuckle. Then we'll take you upfront and you can see the cockpit. OK?"

They both nodded, but Jack was having trouble sitting still, "Can I fly the plane, Nan, huh? Callie got to fly Aunt Bea . . . I wanna fly the plane!"

Nancy smiled, "Don't worry, Jack, you'll get your chance. But right now, you gotta promise me you'll stay strapped down. OK?"

Jack took a deep breath and blew it out in exasperation, he'd already said 'yes' once, "OK! I won' move, just like you said . . . 'til HM says so."

"Good," Nancy said, ruffling his hair affectionately, "Now I gotta go up and help HM. I'll see you soon. Stay put," she added as a final reminder before disappearing into the cockpit.

Murdock looked up as Nancy came in and sat down in the copilot seat, pulling on the headphones, "All set?"

"Yes, the kids are strapped down. Are you through the pre-flight?"

"Yes, we were just cleared for take off," Murdock said, his face lighting up like a kid's at Christmas, "Let's get this show on the road."

They taxied to the end of the runway and began their takeoff run, Murdock letting out his usual happy howl at heading into the sky. Nancy grinned at him and joined in for good measure.

Back in the seating area, Jack looked at Callie fearfully, "Are they OK, Cal?"

Callie was smiling slightly, "Yea, Jackie, they're just havin' fun."

Once they were at cruising altitude, Nancy took off her headset, leaning over and giving him a kiss, "I'm gonna go back and get the kids – I promised them they could come up and see the cockpit."

Murdock gave her a thumbs-up as she headed back to the seating area. There, Callie and Jack were still sitting strapped in their seat, "It's OK, you two," Nancy said, "You can unbuckle and move around until it's time to land now."

Jack was unbuckled and at her side in a flash, "Can I fly the airplane now?"

Nancy smiled at him, "I'll take you up to the cockpit. Maybe if you behave, HM will let you copilot," she glanced at Callie, who was staring out the window at the clouds below them, "Cal, you wanna come?"

Callie shook her head without even looking. Nancy led Jack up to the cockpit and got him settled in the copilot chair, adjusting the headset so it almost fit him. She left the cockpit to the sound of Jack asking questions just as fast as Murdock could answer them.

Cuttey looked at Jimmie Harrington, "This warehouse will work well as the base of operations, just as you suggested," he smiled hollowly, "The old slave holding cells in the crypts will do nicely for our purposes. Did you get hold of Paganini?"

"Yea," Harrington said, "He's game. But I heard Lewis was upstate. We're gonna need a fourth if we're goin' up against the A-Team."

"Yea, Lewis is upstate," Cuttey said with an amused expression, "But that's not going to be a problem."

"You aren't suggesting that we break him out?" Harrington said incredulously, "We've got enough heat on us already, and we haven't even started . . ."

"You worry too much, Jimmie," Cuttey said smoothly, standing up, "Tell Paganini to get here ASAP, I want to start planning for the Murdock's return from Houston. I want to make sure that we can get Murdock as soon after they return as possible. They'll have less time to prepare. Surprise is of the essence."

Nancy walked into the seating area again, and over to where Callie was sitting, still strapped into her seat, "Mind if I join you?"

Callie looked up at her, annoyance flashing across her face, "Does it matter if I do?" she asked irritably.

Nancy shrugged, and sat down, "Guess not," she said truthfully, "We need to talk, Cal . . ."

"'Bout what?" Callie asked.

"Cuttey was sighted at the Children's Museum while you were there with Jazz yesterday," she started slowly, "You didn't happen to see him did you?" She watched Callie's face closely, noting the flicker of fear at the mention of Cuttey.

"No," she answered shortly.

"You didn't talk to him? Or see him? At all?"

"No."

Nancy wasn't buying it, for some reason Callie was lying to her, "Callie, I can't help if you don't tell me the truth," she said firmly, turning to look at Callie directly.

Callie's eyes flicked to her, then she stared resolutely out the window, "I said 'no' – now go away and leave me alone."

Nancy crossed her arms, "Is that 'no' you didn't see Cuttey, or 'no' you aren't going to tell me the truth?"

"It's just 'no'," Callie said angrily, shouting, "Now LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Nancy looked at Callie in surprise, "Don't you ever raise your voice to me, young lady," she said sternly.

"I'll talk to you however I like," Callie said angrily, "You aren't my mother."

Nancy could feel her composure slipping, Callie had never behaved this way with her. She took a deep breath before saying calmly, "You're right, I'm not your mother. But let's get something straight, I _am_ the woman who has kept you and your brother together and kept you off the street. I care about you, Callie, but I will not tolerate this kind of attitude. Now, I've asked you a question, and I expect you to tell me the truth. Did Cuttey try to talk to you yesterday?"

A tear slid down Callie's cheek, "Yes," she whispered.

Nancy didn't let up, "What did he want?"

Callie turned and looked at Nancy, hesitating slightly before responding, "I don't know."

"Did he ask about Jazz and Terra?"

Callie managed to hide her surprise, and answered quickly, "Yes."

Callie's mind was racing, "He wanted to know where they were . . . I tol' him that they were being watched all the time and to go away and leave them alone . . ."

Nancy looked at Callie steadily, but Callie's gaze didn't waver, "That's it, Cal?"

"That's all," Callie said, "Don't tell Jack, please. He didn't see Cuttey, and it would scare him if he knew . . ."

Nancy sat back, something wasn't sitting quite right with her, but she decided to try a new tact, "Cal, why did you and Jack run away?"

"I tol' you . . ."

Nancy interrupted, "I know what you told me – I want to know the real reason you ran away."

Callie's jaw tensed, "Mom didn't care anyway – why should we stick around?"

"Callie," Nancy said gently, "Dr. Lyons said that Jack had been sexually abused recently . . . Is that why you took Jack and ran away?"

Callie stiffened but didn't answer, and Nancy prompted again, "Callie, did you know Jack had been abused?"

"Yes," she whispered, her look becoming self-recriminating, "It only happened once – Cuttey came home late one night and Mom was passed out in the living room. I . . .," tears started running down her face, again, "I pretended I was asleep when he came in the room, hoping he'd just go away. But he didn't."

A sob escaped her, "I tried to get him off Jackie, but he threw me against the wall and I musta blacked out . . . when I woke up, he had passed out on the bed and Jackie was cryin'," she looked at Nancy helplessly, "I . . . I didn't keep Jack safe."

Nancy looked at Callie compassionately, squeezing her hand, "Honey, there's nothing you could have done," she said intently.

Callie took a deep breath and her look hardened, "I took Jack and left right then, before he could wake up," she looked at Nancy for understanding, "I couldn't let him hurt Jack like that again. It was bad enough him beatin' on Mom, but Jack's just a little kid."

Callie pulled her hand out of Nancy's grasp, "Cuttey is a bad person," she said quietly, turning again to look out the window, "I don't want him to hurt us anymore."

"I won't let him hurt you Callie," Nancy said quietly.

Callie looked at her, "You can't protect us all the time, Nan. Nobody can."

"Maybe not, but if we can find Cuttey, we can get him locked up for what he did. Then he can't hurt you anymore."

Callie shrugged, she had come to the conclusion that no one could protect her and Jack. Nancy sighed at the resignation apparent in the girl's face, knowing she wasn't reaching her. Lately, she had thought she was getting through to Callie, but she could see that the encounter with Cuttey had erased all the progress they had made.

"Ready, copilot?" Murdock asked, looking over at the little boy, whose eyes were alight with excitement.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Jack said enthusiastically.

"Alright, now, remember what I told you," Murdock said, unobtrusively flipping the autopilot switch as he talked, "Just hold the control steady and keep your eyes on the altimeter and the horizon."

Jack gripped the control tightly, his gaze fixed intently on the altimeter, "Am I really flyin' the plane, HM?" he asked.

Murdock made a show of letting go of his control, "You betcha, buddy – all on your own."

"WOW!" Jack said in wonder, and Murdock sat back with a satisfied smile.

"Where we goin' HM?"

"Houston."

"Where's Houston?"

"Houston, Texas," Murdock answered, "It's where I grew up."

Jack's eyes strayed to him, then roved anxiously back to the altimeter, "You grew up in Texas?"

"Yep," Murdock said, "Lived with my Gram and Gramps, actually just outside of Houston, but in the same vicinity. Texas is a big state . . ."

"Why with your Gram and Gramps? Where were your Mom and Dad?"

"My Mom died when I was just a little older than you," Murdock explained, quietly, "My Dad left me with my grandparents 'cause he didn't know what else to do with a kid."

Jack looked at Murdock sadly, "I'm sorry, HM."

Murdock smiled at him, "Nothin' to be sorry about, buddy," he said certainly, "I loved living with Gram 'n Gramps – they were real good to me."

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Jack said quietly, "I love my Mom . . ."

"I'm sure you do, kiddo," Murdock said.

"But I don't want to live with her anymore . . ."

"Why not, buddy?" Murdock asked gently.

Jack looked down, afraid to meet Murdock's eyes, "Because, she won't leave Cuttey . . . and Callie says Cuttey will . . . won't leave me alone."

Murdock put a hand on Jack's shoulder, "You know, Jack, that whatever happened, it wasn't your fault?"

Jack looked at Murdock through frightened, shame-filed eyes, the flying forgotten, "But I didn't do anything to stop him . . ."

"You couldn't have, buddy, you couldn't have done anything. Please don't blame yourself. What happened was wrong, and Cuttey is going to pay for it."

A Team By Any Other Name

When they landed in Houston, the limo was waiting for them at the airport. It took them to the hotel, where they unloaded their luggage and headed up to the Presidential Suite to unpack.

Nancy walked out into the main living area and looked at the clock, "I'm going to head in to the Center to see Uncle," she said, turning as Murdock walked out of the master bedroom and joined her, "What are you and kids gonna do?"

"We are going to go rent a vehicle, so we don't have to ride around in that stuffy limo for our entire trip," Murdock said, "Then I thought I'd take them to the Texas Air Aces. We could pick you up after your visit."

Nancy nodded, "OK, I'll take the limo there, and wait for you afterwards at the Family Center."

"We'll see you about 6?" Murdock suggested, "Then maybe we could take one of those paddleboat rides at Moody Gardens and eat a late dinner there."

"Sounds like a plan," Nancy said, picking up her briefcase and purse, she dialed the phone and called for the limo. Hanging up the phone she headed for the door, "I'll see you about 6."

Murdock caught her at the door and gave her a kiss goodbye, "Love you, Short Cake," he said warmly, "Try not to let your Uncle get to you OK? Remember your blood pressure . . ."

"I'll try, but no promises," Nancy said realistically.

Nancy walked into her Uncle's room and wrinkled her nose. They had done a lot to try to make the room feel more homey – wall paper, nice furniture, curtains. But in her opinion the beeping equipment and the antiseptic smell really ruined the effect.

Her Uncle looked up from the bed, "Come in, Nancy, I'm awake."

"I'm glad you could come this weekend," he said as she sat down, "I know you're busy, but I still like to keep up with what's going on at Stockwell Enterprises. How did the meeting with Casey go?"

Nancy sat her briefcase and purse down on the floor, "Very well, we've got a new contract for several projects with the CIA – at 15 over standard fees."

He smiled at her, "I knew you were a Stockwell at heart," he said proudly, "Do we have the resources to cover the new projects?"

"Not at the moment, but we're working on it," Nancy said, keeping her expression carefully neutral as she sat down, "Temp has the recruiting ads out and is accepting new applications as well as pulling files on previous applicants to see if there's anyone suitable."

"And the new Team . . ."

"On schedule to deploy as planned," Nancy said, "We're keeping all of them on for flexibility in assignment. Screening has also started for the next training class – there were 15 applicants altogether."

"You're doing a fine job, Nancy," Stockwell said happily, "I have to admit I had some doubts, but you've really risen to the occasion . . ."

Nancy sighed, "Actually, Uncle, I need to talk to you about that . . . I've been _delegating_ much of the day to day work . . ." she started uncertainly, "And I'm going to be backing off even more."

"Backing off?" he asked.

Nancy took a deep breath, "Yes, Uncle, backing off," she stated more firmly, "I've turned day-to-day administrative control over to Temp, Zeb is handling all operations, and Hannibal is handling the teams, and overall coordination. I'm acting in an oversight role, making sure that everyone stays on task and keeps with the strategic plan."

"Did you say that Lieutenant Peck has administrative _control_?" the General was sitting forward urgently.

"Yes."

"And Smith is coordinating _all_ activities?"

"In essence, yes," Nancy verified.

"So you've turned control of _my company_ over to the A-Team?"

"No . . ." Nancy said, her jaw tensing, "I have delegated day to day management to Deal, Peck, and Smith – they are keeping me appraised of overall progress towards objectives that we set – and for the record it is no longer just _your_ company."

"I did not put you in charge so that you could turn Stockwell Enterprises into an A-Team charity," her Uncle said angrily, spots of color rising on his pale face.

Nancy crossed her arms, "I am not in the business of charity for anyone," she said angrily, "This is how I have chosen to structure the management of Stockwell Enterprises in you absence. Smith, Deal and Peck were, in my estimation, the best people for the job. When you return, if you want to restructure that's fine by me, but so far this is working quite well _for me_. When you thought _I_ was doing it all, you were pleased with how everything is going in your absence . . ."

"I expected more from _you_ . . ." Stockwell said angrily.

"Yes, Uncle, I know," Nancy interrupted snidely, "You expected me run Stockwell Enterprises _just like you always have_. Well, that just can't happen."

A nurse came bustling through the door, making clucking noises, "General, you need to calm down, your blood pressure is going through the roof," she turned to Nancy accusingly, "You're upsetting him - you should leave, _now_."

Nancy picked up her briefcase and purse and stood. She looked at her Uncle's frail form guiltily; perhaps she shouldn't have told him. She took his hand and squeezed, "Please, Uncle, just trust me. I'm keeping an eye on things – I just can't do it the way you did . . ."

The General looked at her sadly, "It's not your fault, Nancy," he said in disappointment, slumping back against the pillows, "I shouldn't have placed such a large burden on you."

Nancy sighed, "I'm sorry, Uncle," she said quietly. She squeezed his hand again and let go, "I'll stop by and see you again tomorrow, when you're feeling better," she turned and left the room and walked out of the building.

She stepped out into the sunshine and glanced at her watch. She had quite a bit of time to waste until HM and the kids showed up to get her, and she decided to spend the time wandering through the campus grounds, hoping vainly that the peaceful setting would bring some peace to her own chaotic life.

Cuttey looked up as Jimmy Harrington returned from picking up Paganini. Both men walked into the room that they had set up as a strategy room in the old river-front warehouse. There were surveillance photos showing Nancy and Murdock and the kids spread out across the table, along with a map showing the various roads around the Murdock household. Most of the photos were long range and grainy, but provided enough detail for planning purposes.

"You better keep your sorry face off the street, Cuttey," Jimmie said jokingly, "The cops are all over. Not to mention those freakin' Abel agents. What a pain in the ass."

Paganini, a baby-faced man with reddish hair and surprising green eyes, picked up one of the photos and whistled, "Nice shot – where'd you get these?"

Cuttey smiled, "An old friend," he said as a large, muscular man stepped out of the shadows, "You remember Charlie, don't you?"

"Hey man," Paganini and Harrington both walked over and pumped the fourth man's hand in greeting. Harrington stepped back, "I thought you were in the pen, man. How'd you get out?"

Lewis smiled, "I got myself a stand in."

"Alright," Cuttey said, standing with a stack of thick expanding folders, he'd given the copier in the office a work out, "That's it for the reunion, we have a shit-load of work to get done before the Murdock's get back from Houston."

He handed each man a folder, "This is everything we've got on the whole team and their families. Read it and know it. The only way we're gonna beat the A-team is if we know them better than they know themselves."

He pointed out the door, "There's a room set up for each of you upstairs, I suggest you head to your room, read some tonight, and then get some shut eye. We'll reconvene in the morning."

Nancy sat on the bench outside Family Services, soaking in the heat. The walk around the campus had allowed her time to work out her frustrations. Her Uncle was disappointed – she'd just have to accept that. She'd made her decisions about how the company was going to be run, and she wasn't going to change it now. Truth was she was much happier than she had been for the last two months. She'd come to the conclusion that while she enjoyed setting objectives and plans for Stockwell Enterprises, the rest of it really wasn't her thing. It had been like a weight was lifted off her shoulders when she had finally delegated the day-to-day functions.

HM, Callie and Jack pulled up in the van they had rented. Callie hopped out of the front seat, climbing into the back while Nancy got into the front, dropping her briefcase and purse between the seats.

"How's the General?" Murdock asked curiously, as he pulled away from the curb.

Nancy shrugged, "If I had to select one word, I guess it would be 'disappointed'."

Murdock looked at her in concern. He had a pretty good idea what the General was disappointed about, "Did you tell him what Dr. Phillips told you?"

Nancy shook her head, "No, it didn't come up," she said quietly, "We discussed the status of things with Stockwell Enterprises, then I had to leave. Uncle was getting . . . upset."

"So, did he even ask how you were doing?"

"No, we kinda skipped the usual pleasantries."

"Typical," Murdock said irritably, "Your Uncle has his head so stuck up his . . ."

"Murdock . . ." Nancy said warningly.

"mmm. . . butt, that he doesn't even think about anyone else," Murdock shifted in his seat in agitation, "Maybe I should talk to him . . ."

"Just let it go, HM, it really isn't worth the effort," Nancy said resignedly. She turned and looked back at the kids, "Hey guys, did you have fun at the Texas Aces?"

"Yea, but flyin' the plane was more fun," Jack said.

"Are we really gonna eat on a paddlewheel boat tonight?" Callie asked, her pent up excitement apparent.

"Yep," Murdock said, "I made the reservations this morning for the dinner/dance cruise tonight."

"Dance?" Jack said, wrinkling his nose.

"I think it sounds like a blast," Callie said.

"Me, too," Nancy agreed, "It's been ages since we went dancing . . . probably not since our wedding reception."

Murdock tipped his head to the side, "I guess that depends on your definition of dancing . . ."

"HM Murdock, there are children present," Nancy said.

He grinned lewdly, "Yea, that's been saving you a lot lately."

Carla walked into the General's room and looked around in surprise, "I thought Nancy was coming today . . ."

"She's been here and left already," the General said peevishly, "I need you to get Colonel Smith on the phone."

Carla looked at the General in surprise, "Didn't Nancy give you an update?"

"Just get him on the phone," Stockwell said shortly.

Carla shrugged and complied, "Hello Lieutenant, the General would like to speak with Colonel Smith," she said, handing the phone over to the General.

"Smith, what in the hell is going on up there? Nancy told me she's put you in charge . . . and _Peck_ is handling administration? I want an explanation and I want it now!"

Hannibal held the phone out from his ear, and looked over at Face, who was working on payroll for the month. Face had heard what the General said, too, and raised an eyebrow at Hannibal. The reaction was pretty much what they had expected.

Hannibal put the phone back to his ear, "Nice to hear from you General," he said facetiously, "It sounds like you're feeling better."

"Cut the bullshit, Smith," the General said angrily, "I want to know what you did to make this little coup possible."

"Well, General, you caught me," Hannibal said, "I wanted to take over Stockwell Enterprises, so I made sure that your niece developed high blood pressure so that the doctor would tell her she had to slow down – it was the perfect plan."

"What?"

"Tell me, General," Hannibal continued, "Did you even ask Nancy how she was?"

"Well, not in so many words," Stockwell stumbled, "I assumed she'd tell me if she was having problems . . ."

"You know, Stockwell," Hannibal said allowing his irritation to sound through, "You are always making snap judgments where Nancy is concerned, and usually without knowing the whole story. Why don't you try talking to her about what's been going on in her life lately. Stockwell Enterprises is fine – your niece isn't so good right now." Hannibal put the phone down with finality.

They enjoyed their cruise on _The Colonel_. Eating, dancing, playing and enjoying the pleasant evening and each other. They had just finished a rousing round of the chicken dance, and were catching their breath out on the deck, watching the water churned up by the huge paddlewheel.

Nancy leaned on the railing, watching Callie and Jack who were still chicken dancing and giggling. Murdock moved behind her and put his arms around her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and Nancy turned her head and returned the kiss, rubbing her hands along his forearms.

Callie finally slumped against the railing, a huge smile on her face. She looked up at Nancy and Murdock, "This is the best time I've ever had," she said happily.

Murdock smiled warmly at her, "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Strawberry."

she sighed, spreading her arms out and looking up at the star-filled sky, "I wish this could last forever."

Carla finally managed to get hold of Zeb at home that evening, and handed the phone over to the General, "Listen, Deal, I want some straight answers," Stockwell said stridently, "How out of control are things with Stockwell Enterprises?"

Zeb sighed and flicked the TV off, sitting back in his chair, "Everything's fine, General," he said easily, "Peck, Smith and I have things under control – all according to plan, just like you wanted."

Stockwell considered that, "Peck isn't robbing me blind, is he?"

Zeb chuckled, "No, actually, he's one hell of a negotiator," he said, "Did Nan . . . uh," he stumbled, wondering if he was being too familiar, "Didn't your niece tell you about the 15 increase in fees with this new contract? It's really going to help with the recruiting. I've already made offers to a couple of the senior field agents we've had our eyes on, and they've accepted."

"But what kind of crazy schemes has Colonel Smith cooked up?" Stockwell asked, almost accusingly.

"Well, General," Zeb said carefully, "I get the impression that he and Nancy have their differences, but in front of the rest of us, they have a united front. We have a fairly detailed strategic plan in place that Smith ensures we follow to the letter. Any deviations have to be cleared with Nancy first. She's not been around the Compound a whole lot the last week, but it doesn't mean she doesn't know what's goin' on. Smith sees to that."

"So that's it?"

"What did you want to hear, General?" Zeb asked, "That Stockwell Enterprises was falling apart without you? I can assure you it's not – everything here is going well. You need to take care of yourself and stop worrying about the company. It's gonna be just fine."

Cuttey closed the door on Nee, again. She had taken to pounding on the door, and he was trying to concentrate. Once he'd drugged her up again, it was blessedly silent. Maybe he'd just keep her that way. It would make it much easier to deal with her.

Clearing the Air – Muddying the Waters

They didn't get back to the hotel until nearly 1 am. Murdock carried a sleeping Jack up from the van, with Callie stumbling along half asleep herself. They got the kids settled in their beds and headed to bed themselves.

_She was running down a dark alley, her heart pounding in her ears, and her breath coming in rasps. She kept looking over her shoulder. She could see nothing but shadows pursuing her, but she knew they were sinister. Were they getting closer? She couldn't tell, but raw fear kept her running, even though it felt like her heart would burst from her rib cage. Up ahead she could see a light, but it wasn't getting any closer. Wouldn't anyone help her? If she squinted into the light she could see someone beckoning, but she couldn't make out who it was, because the light was behind them and was blinding her. She slowed her pace and shaded her eyes, trying to make the person out._

_A door appeared on her left and she stopped and opened it, hoping for a route of escape. When the door opened, it blocked the light from the end of the tunnel, plunging her into darkness. The smell of chloroform filled her nostrils as she struggled to remain awake. She could feel herself being swallowed up by the blackness, but she fought the overwhelming desire to close her eyes, backing into the tunnel . . ._

Nancy's eyes snapped open, and she fought to control the trembling in her limbs. Slowly, her breathing calmed and she turned and looked at Murdock, who was still asleep. When she felt like she could trust her legs to hold her, she slipped out of bed, and headed into the common room. Her eyes landed on her guitar, propped in a corner. She decided that music would do nicely to calm her tingling nerves, and grabbed the guitar and slipped out onto the veranda.

Murdock woke with a start awhile later and realized Nancy wasn't in bed, or even in the room, with him. He rose from the bed and wandered out into the common room of the suite. He caught sight of her through the glass door. She was in her pajamas, sitting cross-legged on the end of a lounge chair, staring out across the city. She sat without moving for about a minute, then seemed to come to some decision, and started strumming a tune on the guitar in her lap.

He silently opened the door and leaned against the door frame, listening as Nancy started to sing:

_The street light crawls into a bare bulb hotel  
Where dead eyes shine there's a story to tell  
It's a life of crime on a bed of stone  
When the devil calls you're better off alone_

_And now I'm hiding from the light, running from my destiny  
Haunted by a flame, lying low, livin' on a memory_

The bugs still bite and the breezes blow  
Between your dreams right through your clothes  
The days roll by like cars on a train  
And the August sky still looks like rain

And now I'm hiding from the light, running from my destiny  
Haunted by a flame, lying low, livin' on a memory

Haunted by a dream, I can't escape this reverie  
Trying to break away, lying low, livin' on a memory

I'll be walking behind you, I'm a face on the wind  
I'll be watchin', still payin' for my sins

I'm drifting down the river so slow  
As the lights of town are beginning to glow

And now I'm hiding from the light, running from my destiny  
Haunted by a flame, lying low, livin' on a memory

Haunted by a dream, I can't escape from this reverie  
Trying to break away, lying low, livin' on a memory...

Murdock pushed the door shut, purposely making noise, "I don't think I've ever heard that one before . . ."

Nancy turned and smiled at him, "Alannah Myles – Canadian artist," she supplied, setting her guitar aside, "She did _Black Velvet . . ."_

Murdock nodded in recognition. Nancy moved forward on the chair and smiled invitingly at him. Murdock straddled the chair and sat back, looking at her curiously, "Are you OK?"

She considered the question seriously, "Not really," she admitted, "But I will be."

He accepted that with a nod, and reached up and rubbed her shoulders, "I wish there was something I could do to help . . ."

Nancy leaned back in his arms and sighed contentedly, "You always help," she said, closing her eyes, "Just by being here."

He kissed the top of her head, "But you're still having the nightmares," he said ruefully.

Nancy's eyes were open again. Changing the subject, she pointed to the sky, "I miss being able to see all the stars here, only the bright ones are visible. Guess there's too much ambient light from the city . . ."

"Yea, for years as a kid, I thought there were only stars in the country, where my grandparents lived – thought they turned 'em on just for me," he smiled at the memory, "You know, even when Mom was still around, my favorite times were always when we went to the country to see Gram and Gramps. Mom called it 'Mommy time' – just the two of us would go out pickin' berries or just walkin'. We never spent that kind of special time together in Houston – Mom and Dad were always too busy with work."

"Sounds like your Mom enjoyed it as much as you did," she said quietly, "I think I'm starting to understand that."

They sat quietly for awhile. Nancy was looking up at the sky, noticing a bright star. Her mind wandered down a dark tunnel, where the star was the light at the end. She shivered, and Murdock's arms tightened around her. He made her feel safe and secure – maybe safe enough, tonight, to talk about the demon in her head.

"You know, it was a night kinda like this, muggy and close . . ." she spoke suddenly and caught Murdock by surprise, but he didn't interrupt, just listened, "Carson nabbed me at my apartment – he had to have been in the apartment already when I came home from the office late that night."

She sat forward, hugging her knees, as if she were cold, "He was smart," she said, almost admiring, "had to have been planning . . . watching . . . waiting for weeks for his chance. He caught me with chloroform – just like that thug, Trigger, right out of a dead sleep."

"I didn't wake up for several hours. He had plenty of time to get me out of sight before anyone came looking for me."

She was quiet for a moment, then continued, "When I woke up, it was pitch black and cold," she was clutching her arms in an attempt to keep from shivering uncontrollably, even in the hot and humid Houston evening, "I found out later it was a morgue drawer."

Nancy stopped – in her minds eye she could see the inside of that drawer, "It's funny, I was terrified in that drawer at first . . . later on, it was like a safe haven. While I was in there, at least, Carson didn't . . . do anything to me."

She was quiet, and Murdock leaned forward, "Nan, you don't have to . . ."

"No, it's alright," she said quietly, "It just . . . doesn't seem real. Almost like it happened to somebody else."

"You're dissociating," Murdock said, "It's normal – sometimes it's easier to talk about, kinda like narrating a story, rather than living it."

"There must be some kind of life experience degree in human psych that you could get . . ." Nancy said with a little smile and a slight shake of her head.

"I think one human psych major in the family is enough," Murdock said, returning the smile, he pulled her back into his arms, "I'd much rather be your love slave then your therapist anyway."

Her smile widened and she relaxed, "I thought you were both . . ." she said playfully.

"Anything for you, Short Cake," he said warmly. They sat quietly for several minutes.

"HM," she finally said curiously, "do you think I need to see a shrink?"

"Do you want to?"

"Not really."

"I don't think you need a shrink, Nan," he said, "But I do think you need to talk about it."

Nancy nodded thoughtfully, and they sat quietly for a few more minutes.

"He was conducting experiments," she said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Carson," Nancy explained, "He was conducting experiments – to further his understanding of forensics."

Her voice took on an instructor's tone, "Serials are usually intelligent sociopaths. Extreme planning, often accompanied by a need to justify what they're doing, if only in their own minds. You almost have to admire the thought and planning necessary . . ."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Carson told me that . . . I would 'die for a good cause.' He would provide running commentary as he performed his experiments and subsequent 'examinations'," Nancy grimaced at the word, "I found that if I could just listen to him talk, and ignore . . . what was happening, it was almost tolerable."

"It started the same . . . each time he would wet a towel in chloroform and put it over the door. It took time, but eventually it would knock me out. That way he could get me out of the drawer without a struggle."

"He had me in this ancient morgue in an old boys' school – had this big solid slab of marble, where they would do the autopsies. Cold as hell, sucked every last ounce of warmth out of my body," she smiled humorlessly, "Of course, that was what he wanted. On top of everything else, he was a necrophiliac. He'd . . . rape me after I'd cooled down enough to feel . . . dead."

"I'd come around after awhile and he'd be playing M.E., recording his findings for posterity," she shuddered, "after he'd realize I was awake, he'd talk to me. Start his battery of tests for the session. Things like suffocation exercises, electrical stimulus response, pain tolerance . . ."

Nancy stopped, allowing the scene's to flash through her head un-narrated – some things she just couldn't verbalize. Murdock's arms had tightened slowly around her as she was talking, and she patted his arm, as she realized it, "It's OK, HM."

"Sorry," he mumbled, loosening his grip somewhat.

Nancy shifted so she could put her arms around his waist, and he smoothed her hair and kissed her, "It's over and you're here," he said quietly, "Carson can't hurt you anymore."

"Not in body," Nancy agreed, thoughtfully, "You know the worst part - I missed the fiery finale. Didn't even get to see the beast blown away. Joe thought it was a little disturbing, but when I got out of the hospital, I made him take me to the morgue and show me the body – I had to see for myself that he was really dead."

"Sounds like a reasonable request to me," Murdock said matter-of-factly.

"Somehow, I knew you'd understand," Nancy said, smiling, "I needed it for closure. I can't imagine what it would be like for a rape victim to have to face their rapist on the witness stand . . . maybe watch as they're released. It would be almost unbearable. For me, seeing him with a bullet through his head helped at least . . . helped me to know it was really over."

"Hope I never piss you off that much . . ."

"Not possible," Nancy said, adding offhandedly, "Kennedy's comin' close, though."

"Can't say as I'd mind that myself," Murdock said, "Kennedy's lucky Hannibal found you, 'cause if I had . . . he'd already have a bullet through his head."

Nancy squeezed his hand, "You know, it's a beautiful night, and I'm tired of talking about depressing topics . . ." as if seconding and thirding the vote, the twins gave a resounding thump, and she chuckled, "That's a majority – no more about Carson . . . or Kennedy."

"Alright . . ." Murdock said thoughtfully, "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"You're the Houston native," Nancy said, "What do you think we should do?"

Murdock grinned widely, "I thought you'd never ask . . ."

A few hours later, the first rays of the rising sun broke the horizon, and Murdock stretched, "When was the last time we stayed up all night talking?"

"It's been awhile," Nancy said, yawning.

Murdock stood, carefully, and pulled Nancy to her feet, "Let's get you into bed – you need to get at least a few hours of sleep . . ."

"I'm . . ." Nancy yawned widely again, "OK."

"Yea, wide awake, I can see that," Murdock said, leading her into the room, and back to the bedroom, "Just humor me and lay down. I'm gonna go check on the kids, then I'll be right back to join you."

Murdock went to the kids' room and had a bit of a start, as Callie wasn't in her bed. But then he saw her lying by the sliding door, which was slightly ajar. He slid the door shut, wondering how much of his and Nancy's conversation from the night before Callie had stayed awake for.

Callie's eyes flew open as he started to pick her up, "HM?" she said blearily.

"That's my name . . . now shhh. It's early and your brother's still asleep."

He laid her in bed and got her comfortable. She looked up at him with big brown eyes, wide with concern, "HM, is Nan OK?"

Murdock sat on the edge of the bed, "Nan's gonna be just fine, Callie," he said certainly, then looked at her curiously, "How about you?"

Callie was caught off guard, "I don't know . . ."

"Is there something I can help with?"

Callie avoided answering the question, instead asking one of her own, "HM, why are you and Nan bein' so nice to me and Jack?"

Murdock's brow furrowed, "Because . . . I don't know, I guess because you're good kids and . . . you needed us. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, "It's just that, nobody's ever taken us anywhere like this. I didn't even know places like this existed."

Murdock glanced around the room, trying to see it through Callie's eyes – it probably looked pretty extravagant to her. He looked at her seriously, "You know, Strawberry, this is a nice place . . . but I bet your Ma woulda brought you here, too, if she could. What matters aren't the things in your life, but the people – the ones who love you and care about you. All the money in the world can't buy that for you."

Callie looked at him doubtfully, "My Mom says she 'loves' me – she tells me all the time," she said, her voice reflecting disbelief, "But it doesn't mean anything. She's more worried about where she's gonna get her next fix . . . and get laid. You know I'm the one always takes care of gettin' her birth control," Callie said, rambling on, without any real point, it just felt good to unload, "Sherry'll send us back and in 9 months, I'll have another squawling baby to take care of, 'cause Mom can't . . . or won't," she sighed, ending defiantly, "If she really 'loved' us, she'd take care of us."

"Maybe it's because she doesn't really know how, Strawberry," he said consolingly, then decided to take advantage of her talkative mood, "Sounds like things aren't _all_ bad with your Mom . . ."

"When it's just Mom and Jack and me, things aren't so bad," Callie admitted, "Mom has her days when she binges, but it's like she knows she's gotta keep it together 'cause it's just the three of us. But it always happens," she shook her head, turning to stare unseeingly out the sliding door, "she'll bring home some guy and everything changes. She lets him take over our lives, which would be OK 'cept Mom always seems to find real losers. Sometimes they just yell and crab, but sometimes . . . sometimes they're real mean . . . Cuttey was the worst yet. It's like he knew how to keep Mom down and under control. I never seen her coked up as much as she was with Cuttey. It was real bad. I tried to stick it out, as long as Cuttey was leavin' me and Jack alone – so I could keep an eye on Mom. But when he went after Jackie . . ."

She stopped and looked at Murdock as if surprised he was still there, then glanced over at Jack worriedly, "Mom's on her own – I got enough to worry about with just Jack and me."

"You and Jack are safe here, Cal," he said, "there's nothing for you to worry about."

Callie looked at him, her eyes reflecting a weariness beyond her years, "But you never know when things are gonna change – and I have to be ready. I've learned I can't rely on anybody but myself."

Murdock put his hand over hers and squeezed comfortingly, "You know, Strawberry, Nan and me are here for you, whatever you need. You gotta have some faith in the people that care about you. You're not in this alone."

He stood up, patted her cheek affectionately, then tucked her into the bed tightly, "You better try and get some sleep, sweetheart. It's still awful early. Then when you get up we'll make plans for the rest of the day. Sweet dreams, Strawberry."

Callie watched him leave sadly, he had no idea how alone she was.

When Murdock woke up, Nancy was just finishing up a telephone conversation with her father, "Thanks for the help, Dad," she said, "We'll give you a call when we're back in town."

"What was that about?" Murdock asked, recognizing the papers lying in Nancy's lap.

Nancy gathered everything up and shoved it into her briefcase, "I'm going to resolve this once and for all," she said quietly, "I can't live up to Uncle's expectations, and I'm tired of trying. SE is his baby, he can have it back. It's better to admit failure now, and stop beating myself up over it."

"Nancy, don't do that," he said, "The only thing you failed at is _being _your Uncle. Just because you don't do everything the way he did, doesn't mean you failed at leading Stockwell Enterprises. In my opinion, you've done a hell of job – especially considering all the extenuating circumstances."

"In Uncle's eyes, I'm a failure," she responded in frustration, "As far as Stockwell Enterprises is concerned, that's what counts."

"Now you're just wallowing in self-pity," Murdock responded, equally as frustrated, "You've never been a quitter – I can't believe you're going to start now. Don't let your Uncle get to you. Ignore it, he'll come around."

Nancy stood, "I'm tired, HM," she said, "I'm not quitting – I'll keep up with what I'm doing, if it's what Uncle wants. But I don't need the partnership. It's too much," she looked at him, seeking understanding and agreement, "You were the one who said we needed to simplify our life – consider this my first act as part of the Murdock life simplification plan."

He looked at her piercingly, "I'll support you, if it's really what you want, Nan," he said, "just make sure you're doing this for the right reasons."

"I'm doing it for the best possible reason, HM," she said earnestly, "I'm doing it for us. The partnership in Stockwell Enterprises doesn't suit me – I took it for all the wrong reasons. I'm just correcting that error."

Once everyone woke up, they dressed and had breakfast in the hotel restaurant before driving into the Cancer Center. They all went into the Family Center, where there were activities and games for the kids to enjoy, while they waited for Nancy.

Nancy watched the kids setting up the chess board, waiting for Murdock to return from the restroom before leaving to see her Uncle. He came up behind her and put his arms around her waist, "I'm back," he looked at her worriedly, "You gonna be OK doin' this alone? We could come with you . . . act as a distraction."

She turned and smiled as he leaned down and kissed her cheek, "I'll be fine – this is something I've got to do on my own," she said, returning the kiss and then pulling away, "I shouldn't be too long. I'm just going to drop the papers off for Uncle to consider and leave."

Murdock watched as she disappeared out the door, then sat down to help Callie and Jack learn how to play chess. It was never too early to learn the strategy involved in a good chess game, "It's important to be planning ahead, and make every move count," he said, thinking that that was good lesson for life, as well as chess.

Nancy walked in to find Carla taking dictation from her Uncle. She cleared her throat and the two looked up in unison.

"That will be all for now, Carla," the General said shortly, and Carla gathered up her papers and left the room, with barely a nod to Nancy in greeting.

Nancy walked to the bedside and sat down in the chair Carla had just vacated, "So, have you checked up on everyone in Langley?" she asked knowingly.

Stockwell crossed his arms, "Smith said something about the doctor telling you to take it easy," he said sternly, "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Would it have made a difference, Uncle?" she asked wearily.

He deflated some at that question, "Nancy, if this was too much for you, why didn't you just say so?"

Nancy shrugged, "I guess because it was nice having you proud of me for a change," she said quietly, "and, as Dad would point out," in fact, had pointed out that very morning, "Stockwell stubbornness probably played a roll as well. I wanted to do it all, just like you did, Uncle. But I couldn't."

She reached down in her briefcase and pulled out an official looking document, holding it out to her Uncle, "I talked to a really good contract lawyer this morning," she said with a smile, "He told me that the partnership is easily dissolved as long as I don't want anything out of the jointly held business – which I don't. I can continue in my current capacity if you'd like. Or you can fire me as acting operations manager, and structure the management as you see fit. The choice is entirely up to you."

Her Uncle looked at the writing on the front of the contract, the words 'partnership dissolved' jumping out at him and sighed, "Nancy, I do not want to dissolve the partnership," he started.

Nancy stood, "No, perhaps you don't, but I do," she said with certainty.

"I spoke with Smith and Deal yesterday, and you're doing a fine job according to them . . ." he said earnestly, "Please don't be hasty about this."

Nancy was shaking her head, as she pulled the straps to her purse and briefcase over her shoulder, "Don't bother, Uncle," she said quietly, "I hate it when you praise me out of guilt. You've got your management options. Let me know what you want me to do."

Stockwell put the contract down, "Nancy, don't leave like this," he said to her retreating back.

Nancy turned and looked at him, "I love you, Uncle," she said with an affectionate smile, "I'll be back tomorrow, to visit you as your niece, and not as your business partner. Who knows, maybe that will go better."

Hannibal looked at the men gathered in the office. Brett Katt had shown up, unannounced, with some very disturbing developments, so he had decided to convene a quick meeting with Zeb, Face and BA – they needed to get prepared.

"Go on, Brett – tell them what you told me."

Brett nodded, "There's been a detail working an undercover with one of Constantine Smith's rivals and the bust went down last night. They managed to take the kingpin, Justice Paganini, just by luck. He was less than happy, as you can imagine – they got enough to put him away for a long time. I wasn't involved in the bust, so I don't know all the details, but James, the lead officer caught me this morning with some news he thought I might be interested in."

Brett smiled humorlessly, thinking that it was funny how news that concerned Nancy always seemed to make its way to him, even after all these years, "James said that they had heard, through the underground, that the contract on Nancy was accepted, and all other takers warned off – keep clear or get caught in the cross fire."

"Apparently, the contractors are ex-army – Special Forces," he added, looking at them pointedly, "the other players have wisely decided to heed the warnings – nobody wants to get caught between the A-Team and these guys. They're expecting an all-out war. Knowing you guys, I'm guessing they won't be disappointed."

"Special Forces," Hannibal said thoughtfully, "One guess who's behind that . . ."

"Cuttey," Face said.

"Face, what have you been able to dig up about Cuttey's old Army buddies," Hannibal asked.

"I've managed to track down about half of his unit," Face said, "I talked to his commanding officer who's retired to El Paso – he said Cuttey was dangerous, no soul, no remorse, typical psychopath. It made him useful, when they could keep him under control, but when he lost it, it was bad. Insubordination was a pretty way of saying he could no longer be controlled. He was making a play for his own unit, had three of the guys with him, and they began threatening the Commander. In the end, they didn't have enough to put them away, but the Army decided they didn't want the liability and discharged all four of them. Sounds like it was a real cluster, if you know what I mean."

"Any of his unit on the east coast?" Zeb asked.

"I've had Riley and Leslie trying to track down the other three guys that were discharged with him," Face said, "As of yesterday, the only one they'd managed to locate so far is Charles Lewis – who's serving a life sentence in Singsing. But they got a line on another – Riley's on his way over . . ."

As if on cue, Riley came walking in, "Hey, looks like you started the party without me," he looked at Face, "Les just called from Jersey – she managed to run down the parole officer – unfortunately, Paganini disappeared about three months ago."

"Damn," Face said, "What about Harrington?"

"You're gonna hate this," Riley said, "He's one of Con Smith's right-hand men. Run's his vehicle recovery operation here in DC. He's probably the one that hooked Cuttey up with Smith in the first place."

"Sounds like Cuttey has at least three of his unit in place," Hannibal said, "What do we know about them."

Face pulled out the files and started filling them in, "Paganini is an explosives specialist. Harrington was the Unit sergeant – mechanical and weapons are his listed specialties, though he is apparently a jack-of-all-trades."

"What about the guy in Singsing?"

"Sharp-shooter," Face said, "I personally am glad he's in Singsing. Apparently took up contract work on return, but got nailed in an upstate assassination attempt four years ago.

"We're sure he's still in prison?" Hannibal asked.

"Les is on her way to Singsing now to check, personally," Riley said, "And have a little talk with Mr. Lewis. See if he knows anything."

Hannibal nodded, "Zeb, get a detail headed to Houston – I don't want Nancy and Murdock down there alone. I don't think they'll bother them that far away, but it can't hurt to be prepared. Face, contact Murdock and tell him what's going on, he needs to be on the alert, then help BA get that new electronic gadgetry figured out. I want redundant trackers on Nancy from the minute she sets down in Langley."

Murdock pulled himself up on the side of the pool, and directed one last splash at Callie before standing and walking over to where Nancy was stretched out on a lounge chair. It was a hot day, and they had all been in and out of the pool, unable to stand too much time in the scorching sun, but enjoying the warm weather after the dismal, rainy fall in Langley.

Nancy smiled up at him, but then her eyes focused behind him, "Callie, Jack, while we're out of the pool, you're to stay in the shallow end," the kids had taken to the water like little fish, and were a little too daring for Nancy's comfort.

Murdock dropped into the lounge chair beside her and picked up his drink, grimacing as he realized that the ice was long gone, "Let 'em go, Short Cake, we're right here," he admonished lightly, "They're swimmin' circles around me already."

"Yea, well you do sink like a rock," she said smiling, "makes it easy to sand bag."

Murdock's cell phone rang, and he looked at it in annoyance, "S'pose I should get that, huh?"

Nancy shrugged, as he picked it up, "Murdock."

"Hey, Facey," he said cheerfully, "You and Ames shoulda come with us. The weather is be-u-tiful."

"It's hot," Nancy corrected.

"My hot-blooded Chicago lady isn't adjusting too well to the heat," Murdock said, looking at Nancy sideways with a grin.

"Glad to hear you're having a good time, Murdock, but some of us had to stick around Langley and _work_," Face said good-naturedly.

Murdock chuckled, "Ya oughta try sleepin' with the boss, it works for me," he said jokingly, "Callie keeps askin' if we can just stay down here, and part of me wishes we could, at least for a little while."

Face raised an eyebrow, glancing over to where Hannibal was talking to Zeb at the doorway, "Maybe that's not such a bad idea, HM," he said uneasily.

Murdock caught the inflection, "What's up, Face?"

Nancy looked at Murdock over her sunglasses, "Is something wrong? Did they find Juanita?"

Face took a deep breath, "We've confirmed that Con Smith has taken the contract, and it appears Cuttey is his man. Cuttey's managed to round up a couple of his Army buddies, and they're declaring war on the A-Team."

On the other end of the line, Nancy could read Murdock's face like a book, "What's wrong?"

"All Special Forces?" Murdock asked.

"Yea," Face answered shortly, as Hannibal came walking over to the desk, "Is it Murdock?" at Face's nod, he punched the speaker phone on, "Captain, I just talked to Zeb – he's got an Able detail headed your way, just in case they decide your vulnerable. I don't want to take any chances."

"You don't really think they'd come to Houston, do you Hannibal?" Murdock asked worriedly, "I got no backup down here."

They're on their way, Murdock, just sit tight," Hannibal said, "I really don't think Cuttey would come down there – he's gonna wait for his chance up here. We just gotta make sure he doesn't get one."

Nancy was sitting up and facing her husband by now, "What the hell is going on?" she asked earnestly.

Murdock looked at her, "The contract is live," he said simply, "Listen Hannibal, maybe we should head home now – it's easier to defend home turf."

"I'd rather you stayed in Houston for a few days," Hannibal said, "Until we're able to find out more about what's going on – I think Nancy's safer down there than she would be in Langley, at least for the time being."

"You're the boss, Hannibal," he said.

"Actually," Nancy said irritably, "I'm still the boss – now I want to know what's going on."

"Hang on Hannibal," Murdock said, lowering the phone he quickly provided Nancy a brief synopsis of his discussion, "Hannibal wants us to sit tight for a few days until they can figure out what's going on."

Nancy's look was stubborn, and Murdock knew they were in for it, "I will not have my life dictated by this," she said firmly, "Tell Hannibal we're headed home tomorrow, as planned."

"Nan, be reasonable . . ."

"I said, tell him," she said slowly.

He looked at her resignedly, "You heard that, didn't you Colonel? We're comin' home tomorrow."

Hannibal sighed, "Let me talk to her, Murdock."

"Be my guest," he said, and held the phone out to Nancy, who took it, "Don't try to change my mind, Hannibal," she said without preamble, "If we're going to find him, I gotta be there. Cuttey's not gonna crawl out of the woodwork until his target is in sight. I'll be in Langley tomorrow."

"Nancy, at least give us a couple of days to get everything in order and come up with some contingencies," Hannibal said reasonably.

"A couple more days isn't going to make a difference. The quicker we force a move, the less prepared they'll be."

"And the less prepared we'll be," Hannibal argued.

"You plan better than Cuttey on the fly, Hannibal," Nancy said, "We've gotta go with our strengths. You have 24 hours – have an Abel detail at the 'port waiting when we land tomorrow at 1700."

"There will be an Abel detail with you on the flight," Hannibal said, "Face, BA, and I will meet you at the 'port tomorrow at 1700. And you're being put under 24-hour surveillance as soon as you land in Langley, whether you like it or not – got it?"

Nancy smiled, "Got it – see you tomorrow Hannibal," she flipped the phone shut, and looked at Murdock severely, "No backup? What am I, chopped liver?"

Murdock sat back in the chair with a heavy sigh, "No, Short Cake, in this case you're the target."

Nancy sat back with a 'humph', "So paint a bullseye on my forehead – it doesn't mean I can't still take care of myself."

On the other end of the line, Hannibal looked at the buzzing speaker in consternation before punching the end button irritably, "Shit, she can really piss me off," he said, and growled at Face's guffaw, "We have 24 hours to get ready for their return – let's find out as much as we can. And get BA in here – I've got some work for him at Murdock's house. Knowing Nancy, we won't be able to convince her to stay here, so we're gonna need a surveillance system installed there, pronto. Move it, Lieutenant."

Leslie was sitting at the plexiglass window, when a man came walking up and took a seat across from her, looking at her blankly. She picked up the handset and motioned to him to do the same. He complied.

"Are you Charles Lewis?" she asked.

"Yea, my name's Chuck Lewis," he said quietly, "Guard said you was looking for a friend of mine."

"Are you the same Charles Lewis that served in the Special Forces, 5th Group, in 'Nam?"

He laughed, shaking his head, "Sure, pretty lady, if that's who you want me to be."

"Did you serve in Vietnam with Horatio Lukjan, otherwise known as Cuttey, in the 5th Group of the Special Forces?" Les asked intently.

His lips curled in a cruel smile, "I never knew no Cuttey, and I was a grunt in 'Nam," he said, "But then Charles Lewis is a pretty common name, ain't it?"

Les' eyes grew wide, "Do you know the Charles Lewis that I'm looking for?"

"Yea, I know the son of bitch," he said quietly, "He's the reason I'm here. Fucker stole my identity, and let me take the fall for some asshole he killed," he sat forward, his eyes glittering, "Not that I don't belong here, but I'd rather be here on my own ticket if ya know what I mean."

"Where's the other Charles Lewis?"

"Hell if I know, lady," he said, "Though he does send me a picture once a year – on our anniversary."

"Your anniversary?" Les asked curiously.

"Yea, he was there the day they convicted me of his crime," Chuck Lewis laughed humorlessly, "Asshole walked right up to me and handed me a picture of himself on some fuckin' beach – back said 'Thanks for taking my place'. He's a real piece of work. I ever get outta here, I'm gonna blow his fuckin' head off and shit down his neck."

"Do you have any of those pictures or the envelopes they were sent in?" Les asked.

"Sure," he motioned to the guard and handed him a stack of envelopes which were carefully inspected than transferred around to Les through the gate at the end of the bank of visitation windows.

Les opened the first envelope and pulled out a picture, looking at a very tall muscular man with a crew cut, grinning at the camera flipping a double bird, turning it over the back was marked crudely, 'Happy 3rd Anniversary. Thanks, again, for taking my place.' She picked up the handset, "Hey, when's your anniversary?"

"Next week," Chuck said, "I expect I'll be getting another keepsake from my buddy then."

Les motioned to the guard, who took her card which was transferred to Chuck much the same way as the envelopes had been transferred to her. Once he had it in his hand, she nodded to it, "Send me the photo and envelope when you get it."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," he said, "If you promise to come visit me again."

"Deal," Les said, watching as Chuck Lewis was led back into the prison. She pulled out the most recent envelope – it was postmarked Laurel, Maryland – way too close for comfort.

Hannibal put the phone down and walked out to the electronics room, where Face was helping BA finish the connections for the surveillance system that they had just finished installing at Nancy and Murdock's house.

Face glanced up, a please look on his face as an image of Nancy and Murdock's front yard flicked up on the screen, "Looks like we're all set."

BA growled, "Need more time to set up a proper system," he said, "There're gaps, Hannibal, big ones. I got more equipment on order but this is the best I could do on short notice."

"I got bad news guys," Hannibal said, which made both Face and BA stop and give their full attention to him, "I just got off the phone with Les – Singsing doesn't have our Charles Lewis."

"That's impossible," Face said, "I checked the social, birth date, prints, everything, it all matched."

"Well, apparently our Charles Lewis decided to swap places with another Charles Lewis," Hannibal said, "Les is bringing back photos, but from what she's been able to dig up, he's definitely in the greater DC area."

"So Cuttey's team is complete?" Face said disbelievingly.

"Looks like it."

Callie looked up at Nancy through heavy eyes, "Do we _have_ to go back to Langley tomorrow?"

"Yea, do we hafta?" Jack echoed his sister sleepily from where Murdock was tucking him into bed.

Murdock grinned at him, and looked at Nancy innocently, "Yea, Nan, do we hafta?"

Nancy shot her husband a withering look, than smiled down at Callie, "I'm afraid so, Strawberry. Besides, Billy and Gin are probably missin' us."

"Can we go back to the pond and go swimmin' when we get home?" Jack asked.

"If it's warm enough, buddy," Murdock said, "Now you two go to sleep."

They walked out into the main room, and Murdock dropped onto the couch, "It wouldn't hurt anything if we stayed another day or two."

Nancy sat down next to him, "I want this whole thing over with," she said quietly, "We're going home tomorrow."

Murdock put an arm around her, pulling her close, and kissed the top of her head, "You gotta promise me you'll be careful, Nan," he said earnestly, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Nancy curled into his embrace, putting her arms around his waist, "I'm worried, too."

"Good," Murdock said, "Hopefully that means you won't do anything foolish."

Murdock couldn't sleep, and after he heard Nancy's even breathing, he slipped out to the main room and flipped on a late night movie with the sound turned down. He sat in the flickering light, listening to the night sounds of the city, and methodically cleaning his hand gun. It was about 2am when there was a noise at the door to the suite.

Murdock picked up his hand gun and walked silently to the door, and watched as the knob tried to turn. He could hear muffled whispers in the hall, but couldn't make out any words. He reached up and slipped the passive safety latch back, and with the next turn, pulled the door open and put his gun to a surprised Jeff Kent's head with one fluid movement. Andrew Lars, who was standing slightly behind Jeff, stepped back and drew his own weapon.

Murdock dropped his weapon to his side, "Shit, Jeff, you're lucky I didn't blow your head off," he said irritably, "Why didn't you call from the lobby?"

"I tried," Jeff said, "You must have a phone off the hook. Good to see you haven't lost your touch."

"Any news?" Murdock asked, leading the way into the main room. Andrew closed the door and made sure the locks were secure, before following.

Andrew motioned around the room, "I'm going to do a quick sweep while you get Captain Murdock up to speed."

Jeff nodded, and smiled at the grimace from Murdock at being addressed so formally, "Good," then he turned his full attention to Murdock, "You look like shit, man. Have you gotten any sleep?"

"Just tell me what's going on," Murdock said, dropping onto the couch and flipping the TV off.

"Well, it looks like Cuttey's team is complete, and has been for awhile. How long they've been planning is unknown, but chances are they're more ready than we originally thought. Hannibal's working on damage control right now – we need to get up to speed and get on top of this before you come back to Langley," Jeff looked at Murdock hopefully, "No chance of convincing Nancy to delay the return trip?"

"None," Murdock said flatly, "She wants to get this over with, and right now I can't say I blame her."

"Listen, Murdock, you should go get some shut eye," Jeff said, "Andrew and I will be on watch the rest of the night – and you're going to need to be sharp tomorrow. If they're gonna chance it here in Houston, they're gonna do it when you're on the road."

"OK," Murdock said, rising as Andrew came walking out of the kids' room, "everything clear?"

Andrew nodded, and Murdock stopped him as he started into the bedroom where Nancy was sleeping, "I'll take care of that sweep," Murdock said.

He left Jeff and Andrew in the main room, discussing their schedule for the night, and after a thorough sweep of the bedroom, bathroom and balcony, he slipped into bed with Nancy, who rolled over and looked at him through wide-awake eyes, "Is that Jeff I heard?"

"Yea, Jeff and Andrew Lars just got here," Murdock said, "They'll be on watch the rest of the night."

"Good," Nancy said, "It makes me feel better knowing they're here."

"Me, too," Murdock said, finally feeling himself relax for the first time since Face had called that afternoon.

Nancy and Murdock rolled together and held each other silently, falling asleep locked in each other's embrace.

Return to Chaos

Murdock refused to let her out of his sight the next day, and insisted that he, Callie and Jack accompany Nancy up to see her Uncle. As usual, Carla was there, taking dictation.

"Thank you, Carla," the General said quietly, as Nancy entered the room, "That will be all for now. Please get that typed up and to me right away."

Carla nodded and walked out of the room, with barely a glance at Nancy.

Stockwell looked up at his niece, noting with concern how tired she looked, "I'm glad you're here. This visit hasn't been going so well and I wasn't sure you'd come back."

Nancy shrugged as Murdock, Callie and Jack came in behind her, "I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment," she said facetiously, then turned and put her hands on Callie's shoulders, "Uncle, I'd like you to meet Callie Temple," Callie stepped forward and shook the General's offered hand, "And this," Nancy said putting a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Is Jack Temple. They've been staying with HM and me for the last couple weeks."

"It's nice to meet you, children," Stockwell said, as he shook Jack's hand, and acknowledged Murdock's presence with a curt nod, "Why don't you all have a seat."

Murdock declined, choosing instead to stand by the door, where he could see out into the hall. Nancy took the seat Carla had vacated, and Jack hopped up on her lap, while Callie took a seat on the other side of the bed, watching the heart monitor with unfocused eyes.

Jack looked at the General curiously, "Are you sick or somat?"

"Yes, I have something called cancer," Stockwell said.

"I was in the hospital last week," Jack said, "I had 'monia, and I was in the hospital for a whole week. How long are you gonna be in the hospital with . . . cancer?" Jack ended uncertainly.

"Hopefully not too much longer," Stockwell replied.

"How long have you been here?" Jack asked.

The questions went on for the next hour, with Nancy and Murdock visiting leisurely with the General whenever Jack wasn't talking his ear off. Stockwell seemed to be enjoying Jack's company, and was smiling and laughing openly with the little boy.

Callie, on the other hand, sat sullenly in her chair. Ever since she had found out that they were really returning to Langley that evening, she'd retreated into her own little world.

As visiting hours came to a close, the General looked up at his niece, "We do need to talk, at least briefly, about the partnership and how we're going to proceed."

Nancy shrugged, "The partnership is dissolved. The only thing to discuss is whether you want me to continue to manage the company or not. Whatever you decide is fine by me."

Stockwell looked up at his nephew-in-law, "Captain, could you please take the children into the hall for a moment while Nancy and I speak privately.

Nancy looked at her Uncle as the door closed behind Murdock, "Well, Uncle," she prompted.

"Nancy, I do not want to dissolve our partnership, not like this," he said quietly.

Nancy spread her hands, "This isn't about what you want, Uncle, it's about what I want."

"So you really don't want to be my partner?" her Uncle said sadly.

Nancy sighed, he was trying to make her feel guilty again, "No Uncle, I don't want to be your partner. You're a lousy partner. Hell, you're a lousy Uncle. I will continue to manage Stockwell Enterprises for you, exactly as the management is structured now. If you don't like it, you can fire me – I don't care. When you return, the company is all yours. I think that's the way it should be."

Stockwell looked at her, a smile playing around his lips, "You sounded just like your mother," he said quietly, "She was always laying it on the line for me. I need that."

"Don't pull that card on me, Uncle," Nancy said warily, "I'm not my mother, and I'm not going to be your partner."

Her Uncle shook his head, "No games, Nancy. You won't be my partner, we've established that. However, you have agreed to remain as operations manager, and I'm going to hold you to that."

Nancy looked at him discerningly, then nodded, "Fine, I'll continue as I have been," she glanced at her watch, "We have to get going, we're due in Langley at 5. I'll talk to you next week. I'm dropping my flight schedule to once every two weeks, so I won't be back down until later this month."

Her Uncle nodded, "Very well," he said, "But I'll be expecting a _daily_ update, not only on Stockwell Enterprises, but on you, as well. Agreed?"

Nancy's look softened, "Agreed, Uncle," she leaned down and kissed his cheek, "Take care of yourself," she said as she straightened back up.

"You take care of yourself," he replied, "You've got two little ones who are depending on you to stay healthy. Make sure you don't let them down."

Lewis sighed as he sat down with a cup of coffee, "Too bad we couldn't nab the pilot before all the hoopla."

"I'd rather just take the woman," Cuttey said, stabbing the tip of a pocket knife at an image of Nancy, "After reading all of Murdock's file, I'm not so sure he's the best target."

"They've got her wired to the moon, man," Paganini said from a computer monitor to the side of the room, "No way you're gonna take her without them knowin' it."

"Whatcha worried 'bout anyway, Cuttey," Harrington said, "Murdock wasn't even SF – he was just a fuckin' flyboy."

Cuttey looked at Harrington sharply, "I told you to read the file," he glared around the room, taking in all three of them, "You were to read the file on each of them and know them. We're going up against the A-Team, not the fuckin' boy scouts."

"I just don't understand why you're so worried about taking Murdock . . ." Harrington said petulantly.

"Murdock was SF, whether the Army listed him that way, or not. He not only flew the Team, but he went on mission with them. That's not what bothers me, though," Cuttey flipped the file to the back, and pointed with the knife, "He was CIA before that, and they list black ops – Murdock's got training I wonder if even his own unit knows about."

"So, tell Smith you wanna take the woman," Lewis stated matter-of-factly, "She's the primary target anyway."

"I'm telling you they gonna lock her up like Fort Knox," Paganini whined, "I don't care what special training Murdock's got – taking him is gonna be a breeze compared to trying to take her."

"Maybe we take Murdock along with some insurance," he said thoughtfully, pulling a photo of Callie and Jack out and laying it next to Murdock's.

The return flight to Langley was uneventful and Hannibal, Face, and BA were waiting at the airfield when they touched down a little after 5pm, as promised.

As they came out of the plane, Hannibal took Nancy's arm, "BA's got some jewelry for you in the office," he didn't leave any room for protest. Murdock, Callie and Jack followed.

Callie watched with mounting interest as BA fussed about getting Nancy fitted, "HM, what is BA doing?"

Murdock looked down at her, "He's fitting Nancy with tracking devices, so we can find her."

"Why?"

Murdock crouched down and looked at Callie and Jack seriously, "There's a contract out on her, it's just a precaution to make sure that if . . . well, if she disappears, we can find her."

Callie looked confused, "But that's not . . ." she stopped and looked at Murdock, clamping her mouth shut suddenly.

"What, Cal?" Murdock asked curiously.

"Nothing," Callie said, then added hastily, "What about you? Are they gonna put tracking thingies on you, too?"

Murdock smiled, "Naw, Cal – I'm not the one they're after."

"But, what if . . . you know, what if they couldn't get Nan?"

"That's the idea, Strawberry," Murdock said, standing and turning to Hannibal as a thought occurred to him, "What about the sharp shooter, Colonel?"

Callie watched him, frustration showing plainly on her face.

About half an hour later, BA had satisfied himself that the trackers were secure and fully operational.

Nancy sighed, "Can I go home, now?"

Murdock chuckled, "You sounded just like Jack."

Hannibal and Face were standing to one side and looked at each other. Nancy caught the glance, "What?" she asked irritably.

"I want you to spend a few days at the Compound," Hannibal said forcefully.

"Live at the Compound?" Nancy repeated.

"Yes, until we can get the materials in to outfit the surveillance at the house properly."

Nancy cast about for reason not to, she knew the Compound was secure, but she wanted to be home. Her gaze landed on Callie and Jack, who were standing together by the front desk, Callie's arm protectively around Jack's shoulder. She took a deep breath – they looked just like she felt – freaked out by the whole situation.

"Fine, but we're only staying there for tonight," Nancy capitulated, "Call Riley – he's got connections with a local security firm that probably has the supplies you need on hand to finish the job."

She walked over to Callie and Jack, "You two OK?"

"We're scared," Callie said quietly.

Nancy nodded, "Me, too. But there are lots of people around to make sure we stay safe."

Callie's eyes flicked to Murdock, "HM, too?"

"Of course," she said, "He's part of the Team."

By the time they got clean clothes at home and returned to the Compound, it was almost 8 and Jack was looking worn out.

"We should get the little guy into bed," Murdock said, "Wouldn't hurt Callie any to get to bed early, too."

Murdock turned and found Nancy sitting in a chair, her eyes closed, "Short Cake?" he said quietly.

Her eyes opened, "I'm not asleep," she said, "I think we all could use an early bed time."

They took Callie and Jack back to the room off the end of the hall, which was full of video tapes. Murdock looked around curiously, "I remember when this was Frankie's room," he said, "Looked a lot different then."

"The whole Compound looked a lot different then than it does now," Nancy said, clearing off a double bed for the kids to sleep on.

Face stuck his head in, "The Master bedroom is cleaned out. It's the only one we haven't converted to some other use, yet, but it had an awful lot of excess equipment piled in it," he watched as Callie and Jack crawled into bed, "BA and I will be on first watch, so if you need anything, just let us know."

They said their goodnights and headed for the door, but Callie stopped them, "Where will you be?"

"Just down the hall, Strawberry. Just like at home," Murdock assured her, "Sleep tight and sweet dreams."

Nancy and Murdock crawled into bed 15 minutes later, "Are you on watch detail tonight?" Nancy asked.

"Hannibal and I are relieving Face and BA, but not until 4am," Murdock said, pulling her into his arms.

Half an hour later, there was a tentative knock at the door, "Who is it?" Murdock called quietly, trying not to awaken Nancy.

Callie pushed the door open, and she and Jack came into the room, hand in hand, "We can't sleep," she said quietly, "Can we sleep in here with you and Nan? We can sleep on the floor."

Nancy's eyes had opened, and she moved over, "C'mon up here."

Callie and Jack looked at each other, then jumped up on the bed and crawled up to Nancy and Murdock and lay down between them, all of them falling quickly to sleep.

At 3:45, Hannibal walked in and woke Murdock with a touch to the shoulder. Murdock followed him out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

Hannibal smiled, "See you had some company last night."

"Yea," Murdock said, "They were scared . . ."

Hannibal nodded, his own concern reflected in his face, "C'mon, I'll buy you a cup o' coffee before we relieve BA and Face."

The next day passed in a blur of activity at the house, which was bustling with people. Hannibal had capitulated and allowed them to go home. Nancy was complaining about needing to do laundry and take care of the dogs – truth was she just wanted to be home, where she could pretend everything was normal. Unfortunately, the unusual activity at the house made that all but impossible. That evening, things had quieted down, and it was only Hannibal, Face, and BA besides Nancy and Murdock and the kids.

Nancy came down from having tucked the kids into bed, and Hannibal and BA were in the kitchen, "HM and Face on recon?"

Hannibal nodded, "They're going to take first watch tonight," he said, adding solicitously, "You should head to bed. You look dead on your feet."

"Not dead yet, Hannibal," Nancy said with a wan smile.

"Poor choice of words," Hannibal said, "Really, things are well in hand. Head on up to bed."

"I'll wait until HM is back from recon."

Hannibal watched her sitting there staring unseeing out the window, "Nancy, are you alright?"

She looked up at him as if surprised he was there, "Something's not right," she said, shaking her head, "We're missing something, Hannibal."

Lewis finished laying the photos of the various surveillance instruments at Murdock's out on the floor plan of the house, "I'm tellin' you, Cuttey, getting Murdock is going to be close to impossible . . . especially if you want to take him at the house with the kids."

"What do we need the kids for, anyway?" Harrington asked.

Cuttey ignored the question, scrutinizing the newly acquired photographs, then turned to Paganini, "You got what you need to jam the surveillance?"

"Yea," Paganini said, looking up from a control screen on an electronic gadget, "Charlie got me the transmission frequencies. Jamming will be a breeze."

"They're there for the woman," Cuttey said dismissively.

"Why can't we just wait for our chance when Murdock is on recon – we can grab him easy then," Harrington said.

"We need the kids," Cuttey said.

Fifteen minutes later, Murdock walked into the living room where Nancy was dozing on the couch, and touched her shoulder gently, "C'mon Short Cake, I'll take you up to bed. Nancy followed him gratefully, falling into an uneasy sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Murdock tucked the covers tight around her and kissed her forehead. It was going to be a long night, and probably an even longer week.

Hannibal was hanging up the phone when Nancy came into the kitchen the next morning, "Cup of coffee?"

"Please," Nancy said, dropping onto one of the chairs by the kitchen bar, which ran under the picture window at the back of the house.

Hannibal set it in front of her, and sat down next to her, "The FBI called this morning. The DA wants a face to face with you and me. They're talking possible protective custody. They've already pulled Jazz and Terra in."

Nancy sipped her coffee, "Did you tell them we had it under control?"

Hannibal shrugged, "Might not hurt to take the offer," he said, "The more bodies the better."

Nancy shrugged noncommittally, "I guess it can't hurt to talk to them, when?"

"1100 at the DA's office," Hannibal said, "You'll go in the armored limo with BA driving."

Callie watched as Nancy was fitted with a special bullet-proof jacket, "Are you all going?" she asked worriedly.

Hannibal smiled at her reassuringly, "Don't worry kiddo. Murdock and Face are staying here with you and Jack, and you'll be under continuous surveillance from the Compound. If a flea sneezes here we'll know about it."

"Really?"

"Really," Hannibal patted her shoulder, "I've got two recruits on surveillance duty, in addition to Face and Murdock being here."


	6. Finale

All the Cards

"I'm gonna make the rounds, HM," Face said as he turned and headed out the back door, "I'll see you in about 45 minutes." Murdock nodded as Face took off and turned to pull the fixings for sandwiches out of the refrigerator, he was getting hungry.

Upstairs Callie watched as Face headed out the back door, picking up the upstairs line and looking at the card anxiously. She sure hoped Hannibal was right about the surveillance.

Murdock was busy making the sandwiches for lunch when Callie and Jack came downstairs, "HM, can we take a walk out back?" she asked anxiously.

Murdock looked at her curiously, "Maybe after lunch, Cal . . ."

"Why don't we take our lunch with us," Callie suggested.

"Listen Strawberry, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's a little cold out for a picnic lunch," Murdock said, "Why don't you set the table?"

Callie glanced out the front window, as if looking for something. She took Murdock's arm, "HM, we need to go," she said apprehensively.

Murdock set the knife down and turned to look at her, "Callie, what is going on? What are you so spooked about?"

Callie's eyes were wide and frightened, "Please, HM, I've done something . . . bad, and we need to leave," after talking to Cuttey she was no longer so sure that the surveillance was going to be enough, he had known what was going on before she'd even told him.

"Just slow down and tell me what's going on . . ." That was when they heard the vehicle pull in the drive.

Jack was already at the front window, and he looked terrified as he backed away from the window and ran upstairs without a word.

Callie gasped, "It's Cuttey, HM, it's Cuttey and he's coming to get you."

"Get me?" Murdock asked disbelievingly, looking in consternation after Jack. He turned and walked towards the front room to see who had pulled in the drive, with Callie following close behind. In the drive was a white panel van, with no distinguishing markings, he was about to head back to call the Compound, when a gun appeared around the corner.

Murdock took Callie's arm, and moved her behind him, hissing, "Run out the front door and into the corn field, they can't find you in there . . ."

Callie looked towards the stairs, "Not without Jack," she said, still hoping she could come up with a way out of this mess for all of them.

Cuttey had appeared behind the gun, and raised it to point at Murdock's head, "Hello, Captain."

Murdock raised an eyebrow, "Is this some sort of new sales technique?"

Cuttey smiled humorlessly, "Always the comedian, Captain? Trust me, I'm no traveling sales man."

"I find that humor helps defuse tense situations. You know, everyone could do with more laughter in their life. For example, you would likely be in a much better mood if you just laughed more . . ."

"Shut the fuck up," Cuttey growled, "And walk this way . . . slowly."

Murdock nodded, "Shutting up," he said, moving slowly into the dining room, where Cuttey met him and grabbed his arm, pushing him back into the kitchen.

Cuttey looked at Callie, "Alright, kid," he said, "Now go upstairs and get your brother – I'll take you to your Mom."

Callie shook her head stubbornly, "I'm not going anywhere with you – that wasn't part of the deal. Me and Jack stay here."

Cuttey took her arm and shoved her roughly towards the stairs, "Listen you little bitch, do as I say, or you're gonna be sorry – and I know you know what I mean." Callie stumbled and started towards the stairs, casting anxious glances over her shoulder, hoping desperately that help was on the way.

Cuttey's eyes roved around the kitchen, and Murdock glanced around too, "Are you looking for something?"

Cuttey jabbed the gun at him again, "I said shut up!"

"Yea," Murdock said, "Um, do I at least get to know why I'm being held at gunpoint?"

Cuttey smiled, "This really isn't about you so much, as about your wife," he said, then leaned in, "But I think I'm going to enjoy it very much because you're involved."

"Gee, I like you too," Murdock said, "But if you touch my wife, I'm gonna kill you," he smiled.

Cuttey and Murdock looked at each other intently, when suddenly there was a clatter of footsteps down the stairs. Cuttey's attention was distracted from Murdock for a split second and Murdock took his chance. He charged Cuttey, slamming him against the wall, and pounded his hand against the wall until he dropped the gun.

Callie and Jack had appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Murdock caught their eyes, "Get out of here – go!" he bellowed at them, while Cuttey pushed him off and caught him with an uppercut to the jaw. Callie grabbed Jack's arm, and ran out the front door, dragging him after her.

Meanwhile, Murdock and Cuttey exchanged blows, until Murdock managed to catch one of the punches, and slammed Cuttey against the wall, leaving a bloody smear, "Well, Muchacho, looks like I'm not buying today," he said through clenched teeth.

Then he felt the cold barrel of a gun against his temple, "Let him go, Captain."

Murdock lifted his hands slowly and stepped back, "Should have learned from the bathroom – where there's a little scum, there's a lot."

"I told you to wait outside," Cuttey said angrily, ignoring Murdock.

"Well Cuttey – it looked like you could use a hand," Harrington said.

"I had it under control," Cuttey said, "Did you get the kids?"

"Yea, Paganini got 'em as they left the house."

Cuttey looked at Murdock, "Good, take him and secure all of 'em in the back of the van. We've wasted too much time here already. I'll be out as soon as the bugs are set."

Jack looked at his sister with wild eyes, trying to wrench his arm out of the grasp of the thug that had them. Callie was standing there resignedly; nothing was working out the way she had planned.

"Hold still, kid, or I'm gonna knock ya silly, hear?" Paganini growled, trying to subdue Jack.

Callie looked at Jack severely, "Stay still or he'll hurt ya," she ordered.

Harrington came out, pulling a handcuffed and reluctant Murdock with him. He looked at Murdock, indicating the kids, "Behave – or I'm gonna start breakin' fingers," he smiled evilly, "We'll start with the boy."

Murdock glared at him, but did cooperate. He looked at the kids, "Don't worry, just do what they say," he advised.

"That's right, be good little people and we won't have to hurt you . . . too bad."

The three were herded to the van, where Murdock was roughly shoved in the side door. Harrington grabbed Jack's arm and tossed a rope from the back of the van to Paganini, "Better tie the kids up, just in case they get any funny ideas."

Paganini tied Jack's hands securely behind him, then used the other end to tie Callie's hands behind her – so they were bound with the same rope with about a two foot length between them.

Paganini handed the spare rope to Harrington, "Here, Jimmie, get 'em settled in the van – I'm gonna go make sure Cuttey don't need no help."

Lewis came running from behind the house, "Peck is out of commission," he said as he sat down in the van.

"What did you do to Face?" Murdock asked, his voice strained.

"Don't worry, Captain, the pretty boy's not dead, just knocked out."

A few minutes later Cuttey and Paganini came out of the house and loaded in the van. Then they peeled out of the drive. The entire operation had taken only 20 minutes.

Nancy was not at all impressed by the FBI detail that awaited them at the DA's office, and quickly made her choice to remain in Abel custody known, "Agent Edgerton, if there's anything that Stockwell Enterprises can do to help with Jasmine and Terra, we could certainly accommodate them."

Hannibal was distracted by his cell phone ringing and picked it up as he stepped out into the hall, leaving the discussion, "Smith," he said tersely.

"Colonel," Hannibal immediately recognized Larry's voice, "We, um, we have a problem."

"What?"

"Well, there's interference on the surveillance at Murdock's," Larry said uncertainly, "We've tried everything. All the connections look solid but we're not getting anything but snow. I didn't know if I should call . . ."

"Get an Abel detail over there – NOW," Hannibal said loudly, causing the office door to pop open.

Nancy looked out, "What's wrong, Colonel?" she asked worriedly, taking in the tension in Hannibal's face.

"Hopefully, it's just sun spots," Hannibal said quietly, but he had a really bad feeling, "We better get headed back to home base, just in case."

At the house they met an Abel detail, and two very worried recruits. Hannibal walked up to Larry, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Larry was shaking his head, "It couldn't have been more than 10 minutes before we called you, Colonel. Lieutenant Peck had headed out for routine recon and the Captain was making lunch . . ."

Jeff Kent looked at Nancy uneasily before speaking, "They took Murdock and the kids, Colonel. They must have had jamming equipment . . . and we haven't found the Lieutenant yet."

Just then a voice crackled over the radio, "We've got Peck, he's alright."

Nancy's arms were crossed as she carefully pulled herself together before turning to look at Hannibal. She motioned around the house, "We need to survey the outside of the house – check everything. I want to know if there's a rock out of place," she said tersely, heading around the end of the house and towards the driveway.

Hannibal looked at Jeff worriedly, "Don't let her out of your sight."

Ten minutes later, BA was sweeping the house while Hannibal, Nancy, Jeff, and Andy talked on the back deck about what they'd been able to surmise. Face was propped up, only half-conscious, in one of the deck chairs.

Nancy finished describing the tire tracks out of the drive, "Definitely a 1-ton truck body, given the wheel base," she said, "they headed north back towards Langley when they left."

Hannibal nodded, "Jeff, we need to check and see if we can get anything from the surveillance tapes."

"I'm on it, Colonel."

"Face," Hannibal turned to his Lieutenant, thankful that they had chosen to knock him out rather than kill him, "Did you see _anything_?"

"I'm afraid not," Face mumbled, "Had to be Lewis, caught me with a dart while I was on recon. Andy found me right where I dropped."

Half an hour later, BA had finished checking the house and found four bugs in the process.

"They high-tech, Hannibal," BA said, "these guys knew what they was doin'. Good thing we got this new sweeper, otherwise we wouldn't of picked 'em up."

"I got a bad feeling, Hannibal," Face said, more alert but still light-headed, he remained seated in the deck chair. He glanced over worriedly at Nancy who was again standing in the side yard looking at the tracks leading across from the front porch, "If they want Nancy they sure do have the collateral for it now. This is bad news."

Hannibal nodded agreement, his look self recriminating, "I should have expected this – if you can't take the primary target, drop back and punt. I've been out of the field too long. This should never have happened . . ."

"If anyone should have anticipated this, it was me," Nancy said, from at his elbow, "This was a very Kennedy-like move. I knew something didn't feel right, I just couldn't put my finger on it."

Hannibal shook his head, "Now isn't the time to second guess what's been done. We need to figure out where they've been taken. Preferably before the demand comes in. If we aren't careful, we're going to end up in the submissive position. We need to find out as much as possible before that happens."

"Nan's right, this screams Kennedy," Face said.

"Agreed," Nancy said, "And I'd say Cuttey and his team are still our most likely candidates. The question now is, how do we find them?"

Hannibal smiled, his eyes sparking with the jazz, "Well, why don't we just go ask Kennedy? Even if he's not 'involved' I'll bet he has a handle on where the action is."

Upon arrival at the warehouse, Cuttey hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "Take 'em up and put 'em in with Nee for now," he looked at Murdock through narrowed eyes, "Make sure he's cuffed to somethin' – and watch him. I don't want to take any chances."

Ideally, Cuttey would have liked to put Murdock straight down in his 'room' – but this opportunity had come a little quicker than anticipated, and they didn't quite have everything ready yet.

Lewis and Harrington took them upstairs, cuffing Murdock to a pipe that ran through the corner of the room.

Lewis pulled on the cuffs one more time, then looked at Murdock with a little smile, "Don't worry, Captain, this is just temporary. We have much better accommodations for you downstairs."

Lewis and Harrington disappeared out the door and they could hear the lock click. Callie and Jack were still tied together, but moved together to the bed, "Oh my God," Callie breathed, "It's Mom."

Murdock stood, surveying the pipe he was cuffed to – he might be able to get one of the joints apart, and started working on it, "Is your Mom awake?"

Callie shook her head, "No – she's out," she turned so she could shake her mother's shoulder, which caused Juanita to groan and roll over, but not wake up, "She's still out, HM."

Murdock was not having any luck getting the joint loosened, "Look around, see if there's anything we could use as a wrench – I need to get this pipe joint loose."

Callie and Jack looked all over the small room, but other than the roll-away bed that Juanita was lying on, there was nothing else in the room, "I'm sorry, HM, there's nothing," Callie said hopelessly.

Murdock turned and looked at the two children, Jack had been unusually silent since they'd arrived, "You OK, Buddy?" he asked with forced cheerfulness, "We'll get outta this. Hannibal, Face, BA – they're already lookin' for us. Trust me."

Juanita groaned again, and sat up painfully, holding a hand to her stomach. She was starting to lose track of reality and when she opened her eyes, the double vision and colorful halos didn't help any. She looked at Callie and Jack in confusion, "Man, I'm really losin' it," she said to herself, dropping back on the bed and closing her eyes, willing her head to stop spinning and trying desperately to keep her bile from rising.

Callie turned in surprise, "Mom, you're awake?" she rushed to her mother's side, dragging Jack with her.

Juanita opened her eyes again, "Cal-girl, is that really you?" she asked in surprise.

"Mom, what has Cuttey done to you?" Callie asked in concern.

Juanita reached up and put a hand to her mouth. By now the swelling had gone down, but her entire mouth had turned vivid shades of purple and green, "I'm OK, sweetheart," she said, knowing it was a lie.

She turned her head when she heard something thudding against metal in the corner, "Who are you?"

Murdock looked over at the woman lying in the bed. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had first started their search for Juanita Temple, "I'm HM Murdock, Juanita, it's nice to meet you."

"HM Murdock?" she repeated curiously, the name sounded vaguely familiar, but she wasn't sure why, "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to get loose," Murdock said, turning his attention back to the pipe joint.

"Mom, HM and his wife, Nancy have been watching me and Jack – they're our foster parents," Callie said in explanation.

"Oh," Juanita said weakly, just before a coughing spasm racked her slight frame.

Murdock turned in concern, but just as quickly as it had started, it stopped and Juanita sat gasping for breath.

"Strawberry," Murdock said, "Come here and kick at this joint – see if that loosens it any."

Callie dragged Jack with her again, and with Jack steadying her as best he could, she kicked at the joint with all her strength. She and Jack both fell to the floor, as Murdock encouraged them to get up and try again, "Kick at it this way," Indicating the left side of the joint.

Callie did it again, this time managing to remain on her feet. Murdock tried to turn the joint with his hand, cursing when it still wouldn't give, "Try again, Cal."

Callie did it again, and this time it did move, a little. Murdock excitedly put his hand over the joint connector, but he couldn't get a good grip, "Jack," he said urgently, "Come here and give me your baseball cap."

Jack complied and Murdock used the cap to improve his grip, managing to get the connector to move. It took some time, but he did get it loose and managed to pull the joint apart, getting himself and the floor wet in the process.

He noticed a valve near the ceiling and reached up and turned the water off.

"Good job, you two," he said encouragingly, "I couldn't've done that without you."

He hurried over to the bed, "Juanita," he said gently, his look reflecting concern, "How long have you been here?" The bruises looked at least a couple days old.

"Please call me Nee," she said, "I'm not sure . . . few days maybe."

Callie was looking at her arms, "Looks like she's been shot up at least a half dozen times," she said quietly, noting the needle tracks. Her mother had never been big on needles, so Cuttey had to have been administering the drugs.

Murdock had an advantage of having his hands in front of him, and he had to know if they could move Juanita. He ran exploratory hands down her arms and legs, then palpitated her abdomen, which caused her to cry out in pain, "How long have you had this pain?"

"It's been gettin' worse," Nee slurred, "Only thing that helps is the shots," she looked at Murdock through watery, red-rimmed eyes.

Murdock stood up, weighing his options, which at the moment were slim to none. Nee couldn't be moved. He wasn't cuffed to the pipe anymore, but he was sure cuffed to that room.

He looked at Nee, then at the kids, "We just have to trust that help is on the way."

BA pulled up outside of Mi Mama's Casa and parked. Hannibal turned in his seat, "Alright, Face, BA, Andy and I . . . we'll do a quick in and out," he looked at Nancy, "I want you to stay out here – Jeff, stay and keep an eye on her."

Nancy's jaw clenched, but she didn't protest, just sat back and glowered.

Jeff looked at her, then looked at Hannibal, "Gee, thanks Hannibal."

They walked through the restaurant, past the patrons who didn't seem at all surprised by the gun-toting crew. Face flattened the guard at the entrance to the back room. Hannibal walked in and directly over to where Kennedy was sitting with three other men drinking and playing cards. He nodded to BA, who grabbed the back of Kennedy's chair and pulled him out from the table, spilling his drink and scattering cards across the floor.

Kennedy looked at him calmly, "Shame to waste good scotch like that."

Hannibal pulled out his hand gun and pointed it at Kennedy's head, "I want to know where my pilot is – NOW."

Kennedy smiled and pushed the gun aside, "Now that's no way to get information, Colonel Smith. Surely you've refined your cowboy methods by now."

"I'll refine my methods all over your face, sucker," BA growled, grabbing the back of Kennedy's collar and pulling him out of his chair, "Now answer the man's question."

Kennedy smiled smugly, "Well trained beast, aren't you?"

BA's growl deepened as he tightened his grip.

In the van Jeff was watching with interest as Hannibal and the others disappeared into the restaurant, "Hannibal sure does like the front door," he commented casually. He was seated next to the rear door and effectively blocked Nancy from leaving the van.

Nancy looked at Jeff, then stood, and crouching moved between the front seats, dropping into the seat Hannibal had just vacated.

Jeff hadn't expected her to move, and put a surprised hand on her shoulder, "Where are you going?"

Nancy wrenched the door open, "Inside."

Jeff pulled the sliding door open and caught Nancy's arm as she shut the passenger side door, "Hannibal said to wait out here."

Nancy looked at Jeff through narrowed eyes, "Who signs your paycheck, Kent?"

"That's an empty threat, Nan," Jeff said quietly.

Nancy jerked her arm out of his grip, "Yea, maybe, but if you're gonna stop me you better mean it."

She turned and walked resolutely towards the restaurant. Jeff watched for a moment, considering his options, and decided that she was right, he wanted to be in there almost as much as she did.

Nancy walked into the back room of the restaurant a minute later, with Jeff following closely behind.

Hannibal's eyes were glittering with anger, "I want to know where Murdock and the kids are, Kennedy, and you're gonna tell me."

Kennedy's face was turning red as BA squeezed his neck, "You heard the man, sucka, where's Murdock and the kids?"

"I don't know," Kennedy choked.

BA squeezed tighter, and the veins on Kennedy's neck stood out, "I ain't playin' man . . ." BA's voice was low and menacing, and he was nose to nose with Kennedy.

Nancy put a hand on Hannibal's arm, "Let me talk to him, Hannibal," she said quietly.

Hannibal looked at her in surprise, then his eyes flashed to Jeff, who shrugged and stood on the other side of the entrance to the room from Andy.

He turned back to BA, making a decision he barked, "Ease up, BA," he stepped back and nodded to Nancy.

Nancy looked at Kennedy through narrowed eyes, "Is Cuttey doin' you dirty work for you, Kennedy?"

BA had loosened his grip, and Kennedy swiveled his head experimentally. Then he looked at Nancy with glittering eyes, "Why if it isn't the lovely Nancy Clay Murdock – in pregnant splendor," he said snidely, "About 6 or 7 months along, right? Pity if you had to raise those children on your own . . ."

BA white-knuckled, again – he was rapidly loosing patience with the situation. Nancy crossed her arms, "Let him go, BA."

BA looked at Nancy in surprise, but at Hannibal's nod, complied, shoving Kennedy into the table as he stepped back. Kennedy stood and smoothed his shirt, "Very good – does he sit and fetch as well?"

"What do you want, Kennedy?" Nancy asked, "Let my husband and the kids go – this is between you and me."

Kennedy smirked, "What do _I_ want . . .," he said, standing and looking at Nancy shrewdly, "Well, I want a lot of things . . . but as to why someone would kidnap _innocent_ people," he shrugged, "If I had to _guess_, it could be to punish you," he looked in her eyes directly, his voice dripping with malice, "take away all that you love and leave you totally alone. I would say that your husband is in a great deal of danger . . . if I had to venture a guess."

Nancy looked at him, her expression helpless, which made Kennedy's smile that much broader, "Please, tell me where they are," she pleaded.

Kennedy smirked at her, "I have no idea where they are."

Nancy looked at him narrowly, finally turned away, "He's telling the truth," she said, "He doesn't know where they are."

Hannibal glared at Kennedy, "This isn't over, Kennedy – you better watch your back." At his signal, they all followed Nancy out of the bar – BA and Face bringing up the rear.

They climbed in the van and Hannibal turned and looked at Nancy severely, "If you can't obey orders, you're going to stay home," he shook his head, "What the hell was that all about, anyway?"

"It was about baiting him, Hannibal," she said directly, "This is all about control – Kennedy wants control over me. I showed him that he has it. It had to be me in there. You know that or you wouldn't have called BA off."

Hannibal sighed, Nancy knew what she was doing, he knew that, but he had trouble reconciling that with the pregnant woman sitting in front of him, "OK, so, now what?" he said, then looked at her directly, "You're the expert – what should we expect?"

Nancy sat back, crossing her arms, "He'll make me wait – suffer," she said, letting herself slip into Kennedy's mind, "Then he'll take me to HM . . .," her thoughts wandered as she considered a worse case and best case scenario – neither looked good for Murdock.

Hannibal was reading her mind, "Will it be too late?"

Hannibal saw the flicker of raw fear, before Nancy quickly concealed it, "Almost," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hannibal turned to BA, "You got him bugged, right?"

"All set, Colonel," BA said, reaching down and flipping on the receiver.

Kennedy's voice crackled over the receiver as they pulled out into traffic, "That bitch is going to regret the day she fucked with me."

"I'm hungry," Jack whined, again.

"Just shut up, Jackie," Callie said irritably, "We're all hungry."

Murdock smiled tolerantly at the two, "It's not going to do any good to get angry with each other," he said quietly, "This is the time when we need to stick together, alright?"

Both children nodded in silent agreement. Murdock turned and looked up at the pipe again, "A drink of water might help . . ." he motioned the kids over to the corner and cracked the valve, so there was a trickle of water coming out. He allowed each of the kids to drink their fill, then took a quick drink himself.

He looked around, "Can you two think of any way to get a drink to your Mom?"

Callie came up with it first, "What about soaking a blanket or something in water and wringing it out in her mouth."

"Good thinkin', Strawberry," Murdock said, pulling out Jack's ball cap again, "This might work."

He held it under the stream of water, allowing it to get saturated, then carrying it over and wringing it into Nee's mouth. She drank greedily, unable to remember when she'd last had anything to eat or drink.

Murdock started back to the pipe, then stopped, "C'mon, guys, let's see if we can get this bed moved against this wall . . ."

"So it's not so far to carry the water," Callie finished.

"Right," he said, as they rolled the bed against the wall by the pipe, "You'll also be able to reach the valve if you need to Strawberry – by standing on the bed."

Callie stopped, "But you can reach the valve without the bed, HM . . ." she said, the import of what he was saying slowly sinking in.

Murdock licked his lips, they needed to face reality here if they were going to survive. He needed Callie thinking clearly, not falling apart.

"Listen, Cal, it's only a matter of time until they come to get me," he said earnestly, "But you gotta keep sharp – a chance to escape could come at any time. I need you to stay alert," he glanced at Jack, whose wide hazel eyes were reflecting intense fear, "Both of you need to stay on your toes. You gotta be ready when Hannibal and the others show up."

"But HM, what's gonna happen to you?" Callie choked.

"I'm not sure, Strawberry, but that's not what you need to worry about," he said sternly, "You gotta worry about your brother and your mother – they're gonna need you. You gotta keep hydrated – keep drinking and make sure your Mom gets plenty to drink."

"But what if I need to pee?" Jack asked practically.

Murdock pointed to the opposite side of the room, "Go in that corner and rinse it with a little water if it starts to smell."

They finished pushing the bed against the wall, and Murdock ferried more water to Nee, forcing her to drink until she was satisfied. Then he motioned to the kids, "I'm gonna put myself back on the pipe, but I won't tighten the joint. When you need water you know what to do."

"Won't they wonder why we've moved the bed?"

Murdock shrugged, "Maybe, just . . . tell them there was a draft from the window."

"HM," Callie said, as he settled on the floor by the bed, his hands once more cuffed to the pipe, "I'm scared."

"I know, Strawberry," he said, "I know, but you gotta believe that help is gonna come. Have faith that you're gonna get through this . . . that we're all gonna get through this."

"Why don't you two curl up on the foot of the bed with your Mom and try to get some sleep," he suggested.

"Nothing from Kennedy, yet, Colonel," Face said in frustration, "He and Smith and two other guys are just sittin' there playin' poker like nothing is going on."

Hannibal shook his head, "Not much to do but sit on 'em, Lieutenant," he said quietly, "The recruits will monitor the transmissions – we'll know if anything happens. Now let's go over the contingency planning one more time."

Zeb rubbed a hand over his eyes, "We've been through the contingencies at least a dozen times, Hannibal," he said wearily.

"And we'll go over them a dozen more," Hannibal growled, "When the demand comes in we're going to have to make a quick decision. They aren't going to give us time to do more than react, and we need to be ready."

It was late when the door opened and Lewis and Harrington walked in to get Murdock. The kids awoke, and Nee groaned when the bed shook from their movements.

Murdock looked at Harrington severely, "She needs to see a doctor."

"She just needs her next fix – Cuttey should be up with it soon."

"C'mon, Captain," Lewis said snidely, "Your destiny awaits."

Callie and Jack watched fearfully as Murdock was led out, "HM?"

"It'll be alright," Murdock said soothingly.

"Oh, I think not, Captain," Harrington said with a chuckle.

As the door shut behind them, Harrington looked at the guard at the door, "Go ahead and untie the kids – they aren't a threat." He nodded and went in to comply.

"Cuttey didn't say to untie the kids," Lewis said uncertainly.

"They're just kids," Harrington said dismissively.

Purgatory

Two days later, nothing had changed and everyone was beginning to show the strain. It was about 11 pm, and Face and Kit Kelly, the supplies agent for the new team, were just relieving Jeff and Andy of Nancy-sitting duty. The local Able forces were stretched to the breaking point. Carl had been brought to the house, in an attempt to minimize collateral damage.

"How's Nancy holding up?" Face asked, he hadn't seen her since the day before.

Carl shrugged, "She took a shower, then finally fell asleep a couple hours ago – so at least she's finally getting some rest."

Face rubbed a hand over his eyes, "I think we're all starting to feel it – this waiting is hell. I wish they'd make a goddamn move. Anything would be better than this."

Jeff touched Face's shoulder to get his attention, "Hang in there," he said, as he motioned to Andy, "We'll take a last recon before we leave. 'Night."

_She was running down a dark alley, her heart pounding in her ears, and her breath coming in rasps. She kept looking over her shoulder. She could see nothing but shadows pursuing her, but she knew they were sinister. Were they getting closer? She couldn't tell, but raw fear kept her running, even though it felt like her heart would burst from her rib cage. Up ahead she could see a light, but it wasn't getting any closer. Wouldn't anyone help her? If she squinted into the light she could see someone beckoning, but she couldn't make out who it was, because the light was behind them and was blinding her. She slowed her pace and shaded her eyes, trying to make the person out._

_A door appeared on her left and she stopped and opened it, hoping for a route of escape. When the door opened, it blocked the light from the end of the tunnel, plunging her into darkness. The smell of chloroform filled her nostrils as she struggled to remain awake. She could feel herself being swallowed up by the blackness, but she resisted, backing into the tunnel and slamming the door. She turned and continued towards the light where the figure was still beckoning, closer now, as if she had somehow leaped ahead when she slammed the door._

_She slowly walked ahead, glancing behind her anxiously. The shadows had fallen behind, but she could still feel their presence, advancing, but not an immediate threat. Her heart was pounding, and she knew she couldn't turn back, but she was also afraid to move forward towards the light, though it was a different, unfamiliar sort of fear. She stumbled to a stop, shading her eyes against the light and trying vainly to make out the person beckoning – it was a small person, shorter even then her slight 5'3" frame. _

_The figure turned, and in turning blocked enough of the light for Nancy to make out . . . a child, a little girl, with auburn curls and big brown eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, and Nancy moved forward slowly, taking the small hand that was held out to her, "You were almost too late – we've been waiting for you, but you weren't ready yet."_

_"Ready for what?"__ Nancy asked._

_"Are you ready now?" she asked, her gaze wide and innocent._

_"Ready for what?"__ Nancy asked, again, desperately, "What am I supposed to be ready for?"_

_The little girl's expression turned sad, "I guess you aren't ready . . ." her fingers slipped out of Nancy's hand and she started moving away, the light rapidly fading. _

_Nancy panicked as the darkness enveloped her again, "No, please, don't leave me here . . . please, help me. What do I need to do to be ready?"_

_The girl's sweet voice surrounded her, but was quickly fading into the distance, as if coming down a long tunnel, "Get ready soon . . . we'll be coming . . ."_

_Nancy__ started running again – but the light kept moving farther away until it was a mere pinprick in the distance, "Please," she begged, her breath coming in painful rasps, "What do I need to do? Please tell me!"_

_The shadows were closing in again, and she ran harder, trying desperately to get back to the little girl and find out what she needed to do to leave this place. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder and swung out blindly . . ._

Face had heard Nancy talking and thought she was awake but had quickly realized, upon entering the bedroom, that she was having a nightmare. He reached down and put a hand on her shoulder, barely dodging the fist that swung up at him, "Nancy, it's OK, it's just a dream . . ." he said soothingly, holding her arms to still her thrashing.

She opened her eyes and realized who was there. Suddenly the waking nightmare of the last two days came back to her as she realized that it wasn't Murdock that was trying to sooth her. She felt like reality no longer existed for her anymore. Awake and asleep, the nightmare was in control, and she felt her life with Murdock slipping away. Silent tears slid down her cheeks, and Face put his arms around her, patting her back, "Don't worry, Nan," he said quietly, "we'll find him. Murdock's tough – he'll be alright."

Nancy's breath was coming in sobs, "I can't do this without him, Face."

Nancy rolled over and looked at the clock. It was after 9 am. She sat up and threw the covers off, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands. The frustration and stress of the last two days was making her feel strung out. She stood up and walked over to the dresser, pulling out a drawer and taking out clean underclothes. Next she pulled out another drawer and found out a pair of socks. Then she walked over to the closet and went to open the door, but the knob came off in her hand. She looked at the knob for a few seconds, then turned and flung it across the room. It hit the wall with a loud crack, then thudded onto the floor, rolling for several seconds before coming to rest near the foot of the bed.

Face and Kit came running up, guns drawn, "Are you OK?" Face asked worriedly, scanning the bedroom. Carl brought up the rear, sighing with relief to see his daughter standing and apparently unharmed.

Nancy had her arms crossed and took a deep calming breath, "I'm fine – just having a little trouble getting the closet open."

Kit and Face put their guns away. Face walked over and picked up the knob, "This would probably help," he said, walking back towards the closet.

Nancy watched him trying to figure out how to get the door open with the knob for about a minute, before turning and picking up a large screw driver off the dresser. She motioned for Face to step aside. She shoved the screw driver in through the hole where the door knob usually was and they could hear the other side of the knob assembly clatter to the floor. She wedged the screw driver in place and yanked the door open.

Face raised an eyebrow, "Guess you know how to handle that . . ."

Nancy bent and picked up the other end of the knob assembly and looked at it sadly, "You know, HM has been saying he'd fix that ever since we moved into this house . . ."

Face took it from her and squeezed her hand, "I'll make sure he fixes it as soon as he gets back."

Nancy smiled at him wanly, "Thanks, Face."

Carl put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, "Get dress, and come down stairs to get some coffee – we just made a fresh pot. You'll feel better after you've had a chance to wake up."

Face turned to Kit, "It's your turn for recon . . ." the two men headed into the hall, with Carl following and pulling the bedroom door shut behind them.

Nancy dressed quickly and ran a brush through her hair before heading downstairs. She murmured 'thank you' to her father when he handed her a cup of coffee, "How are you feeling this morning?" he asked quietly.

Nancy took a sip of coffee, "Lousy."

The phone rang, and Nancy and Face looked at each other. They were on strict orders not to use the land lines. Nancy set her cup down on the counter and hurried into the dining room with Face on her heels. He picked up a set of earphones, nodding to Nancy, he hit the trace trigger as she picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Is this Nancy Murdock?" the voice was disguised and muffled and difficult to understand.

"Yes, this is Nancy Murdock."

"Do you want to see your husband, Mrs. Murdock?"

Nancy's jaw tensed, "Where is he?"

"Not so fast. If you want to see you husband alive again, you will follow my instructions to the letter. Understood?"

"What about Callie and Jack?"

"They are here as well. Listen carefully, I'm only going to repeat this once."

"Drive into the LCC and take a cab into the Lincoln Memorial. You'll be contacted there with further instructions. You better leave now. If you aren't there by 10:30, your husband is dead."

"Let me talk to him," Nancy said, but heard only the resounding click on the other end of the line.

She looked at Face, "Did you get the trace?"

Face put the earphones down, shaking his head in regret. He pulled out his cell, "I'm going to call Hannibal."

"Tell him to bring a wire and a beacon – and he better hurry. I've gotta get moving."

No Good Ideas

"I don't like this," Face said.

Hannibal sighed, "We knew this was how it was likely to go down," he said, not that that made the situation any more palatable, "I don't want to send Nancy in there anymore than you do, but we all agree, it's the best chance we're going to have to recover all of them – hopefully alive."

"Murdock is going to be furious . . . if he survives this," Face said, "You know he wouldn't want Nancy in there."

"We've been over this, Lieutenant," Hannibal said irritably, three dozen to be exact, "Every other contingency has ended with Murdock dead, and Nancy still having to go in because of the kids. Cuttey's holding all the cards right now – we gotta go with it until we find an out."

BA came striding in, "I got the wires, Hannibal."

"Let's go."

Nancy was in her home office talking on her cell phone when Hannibal, Face, and BA came in, "OK, Joe – thanks for the backup. Hannibal will be directing the operation, and we're taking the new team in for support, along with all available Able agents. We're mainly going to need you for the cleanup."

"You be careful, Nancy," Joe said, unnecessarily, "Trixie will never forgive me if she finds out I went along with this."

"I'll be OK, Joe," Nancy said, with more confidence than she felt, "Thanks – looks like it's time to go. I'll see you – soon!"

"Ready to be wired," Nancy said, turning to BA with a smile.

BA took a deep breath, looking at Nancy ruefully. Nancy raised an eyebrow, "What do you need me to do, BA?"

"Hmm," BA said reflectively, "I want to make this one easy to find, but not too easy or they'll know it's a setup."

He glanced at Hannibal, "What do you think, man?"

"How about in the shoe?" Hannibal asked.

BA nodded, "OK." He worked quickly to get Nancy set with the wire, "They'll find this quick. I'm gonna fit you wi' an activated beacon bud. They'll probably scan you with a sweep – so they'll find that one too."

"OK," Nancy said uncertainly, "How about one they won't find?"

"Here," BA said with a broad grin, handing Nancy two barrettes, "These are dead right now. Leave them off until you find Murdock and the kids. Then hit this pressure switch right here," he demonstrated, and the beacon in his other hand started registering a signal, "They won' find 'em, long as they aren't activated," he turned them back off and handed them to Nancy.

Nancy put them in her hair, reaching up to adjust, her fingers getting the feel for the pressure switch. After a couple trials of being able to get them on, BA switched them off and stood back.

Nancy held out her hands, "Well, guess I'm ready to roll," she smiled, "See you soon?"

"I know this doesn't really need to be said, but be careful. If it is Cuttey that has them, he's lethal."

"Yea," Nancy agreed, "But he's also a classic abuser – he is bound to underestimate a pregnant woman. I just need to make sure he thinks I'm good and helpless."

"Face, check out BA's work," Hannibal ordered, "you know what we're looking for – findable but not obviously so."

Face patted Nancy down and nodded, "She'll do, I don't think they'll find the bud until they do an electronic sweep. Maybe if we get lucky they won't find it at all."

Nancy grinned, "And, you didn't find my piece."

Hannibal chuckled, "Where is it?" he asked curiously.

"Taped under my protruding belly," Nancy said, "Sometimes it comes in handy for something besides carrying babies after all."

Nancy was standing at the LCC gate half an hour later waiting for her cab. It pulled up within five minutes, and Nancy got in, "Lincoln Memorial."

The cab pulled away from the curb and Nancy glanced up at the license hanging from the mirror. The photo showed a sandy haired kid with a lopsided grin, and she noticed that her driver was dark-haired.

Looking in the rear view mirror the driver lowered his sunglasses slightly, looking at her, "Hello, Mrs. Murdock," he said menacingly, "Ready to see your husband? I'm afraid we have to make a quick pit stop - it won't take long."

At the chop shop, Harrington pointed to Lumpy and Ethan, "You two, come here."

They walked over and stood in front of Harrington expectantly, "I got a special job for you today," he said, handing Lumpy, the slighter of the two a wig, "You'll be needing this."

Lumpy took the wig and looked at it curiously, but didn't ask any questions.

Harrington then turned to Ethan, "You'll need these," he handed him a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.

Back in the van, BA, Hannibal, Face, and Jeff were waiting in the parking lot, watching the beacon carefully.

"Let's get moving BA," Hannibal said, "I don't want to lose them."

The beacon continued to move for the next 10 minutes, then stopped, and BA pulled over to the edge of the road, "Should we move in Colonel?"

Hannibal shook his head, "No way they'd have Murdock and the kids in this close – they're probably just stopped and making a search before they move on. This is the moment of truth."

Cuttey pulled into the chop shop and cut the engine. He stepped out as Harrington opened the rear door. Cuttey reached in and pulled Nancy out roughly, "sweep her."

They found both of the activated buds immediately, and Cuttey sighed, "You're a bad, bad girl, Mrs. Murdock," he said, dropping the bud from her shoe on the floor and crushing it under foot. The other bud he threw into the back of the cab.

"Anything else you'd care to tell me about?"

"Hang on," Paganini said, looking at the readout on the instrument he was holding, "she's got something else," he reached up and roughly pulled the barretts out of her hair, taking wads of hair with them. He looked at them admiringly, "Dead beacons with pressure switches – pretty slick," he smiled as he held them out to Cuttey, who took them and threw them in the back of the cab as well.

"Is that everything?"

Paganini grinned at Nancy lewdly, "We could do a strip search."

Cuttey shook his head humorlessly, "No time. Where's Harrington?"

"Here he comes," Lewis said, as Harrington led Lumpy and Ethan to the cab.

Ethan managed to keep his surprise hidden at seeing Nancy there. He was wearing the cap and the sunglasses, which certainly helped. Nancy glanced at him, but her face registered no recognition.

Lumpy was itching his head, "This thing is hot," he complained.

Cuttey handed Ethan the key, "You keep this cab moving, straight out of town and up into the mountains, you hear me?"

"Get in the back," Lewis directed Lumpy.

Lumpy didn't question the big man, simply slid into the back seat and closed the door.

Ethan opened the driver's door, and slid behind the wheel, "What's goin' on?"

"It's none o' your business, kid," Harrington said, "Just keep driving and you won't get your ass kicked – got it?"

Ethan nodded, watching unobtrusively while he buckled his seat belt. Cuttey pulled a black hood over Nancy's head then grabbed her roughly by the arm, dragging her over to a 1982 black Buick LaSabre. Her hands were quickly cuffed behind her back before she was shoved unceremoniously into the back seat, with the big burly guy sliding in after her.

Ethan turned the key in the ignition, then looked at Harrington over the tops of the sunglasses, "Hey Mr. Harrington, how do I know when to stop?"

"When you run out of gas, kid," Harrington said snidely, before turning to get into the LaSabre.

Ethan's thoughts were whirling as he pulled out of the chop shop and headed west. Something was definitely wrong, he had to find a way to contact BA.

"They only found one of the beacons," BA said happily, "And they're on the move again."

"Alright, BA, let's go," Hannibal said, thankful that something was going right.

After driving for about 15 minutes, Ethan pulled over into a gas station, which caused Lumpy to panic, "Hey, Mr. Harrington said to keep moving."

"I gotta take a piss, man," Ethan lied easily, "I'll be right back."

Ethan ducked around the side of the gas station, stopping at a phone booth out of sight of the cab. He picked up the phone and dialed the Langley Community Center – hopefully BA was there.

At the LCC, Charlotte was sitting in the office looking reflectively out the window. The last three days she had immersed herself in work, finding it therapeutic to forget what was going on in her fiance's adopted family. Unfortunately, having Nancy picked up at the Center had caused the rumors to start flying, and Char was having trouble avoiding thinking about what was going on.

The phone rang and she picked it up, answering automatically, "Langley Community Center, Charlotte Lincoln speaking, how may I help you?"

"Char, it's me, Ethan," the voice on the other end of the line said.

"Ethan?" Char said in surprise, "Is everything OK?"

Ethan considered what to say, "Char, is BA there?"

"No," Charlotte said, hesitant to say much more than that.

"Can you get a message to him?"

"Ethan, BA is busy right now. Is there something I can help you with?" she sounded snippy even to her own ears.

"Char, please you gotta tell BA," Ethan said urgently, "I - I've got his trackers and he needs to come get them."

Charlotte felt her stomach drop, "Ethan, where are you?"

"Just tell him, he'll know where I am," Ethan said certainly, and hung up the phone.

Lumpy was pacing outside of the cab when Ethan returned drawing curious glances from the passersby, "E, man, where have you been? Harrington called, they know we're stopped. He was pissed dude. We gotta get movin'."

Ethan nodded, "Get in."

BA's cell phone rang, and he picked it up in irritation, "What?"

"BA, Ethan just called," Charlotte said urgently with no preamble, "He said he's got your trackers and you'll know where to find him."

"He's got my trackers?" BA asked uncertainly.

"That's what he said."

"Alright, babe, I gotta go."

BA flipped the phone shut, and picked up speed, "I think we been had, Colonel."

10 minutes later BA pulled even with the cab they'd been tracking. Ethan had the window open, and Hannibal waved to him, "Ethan, pull over."

Ethan shook his head, "I can't, they know when I stop."

Hannibal nodded, "OK, we'll keep up and stop with you at the next light."

In the cab, Lumpy was panicking again, "Man, who are those guys? They friends of Mr. H?"

"No Lumpy, just be quiet," Ethan said sharply, "Mr. H can't know we're even talkin' to these guys. Or he'll kill us."

Lumpy leaned forward, "What the hell are you getting us into, man?"

"This is about what I'm getting us out of."

It took two more lights before they caught a red one. Hannibal leaned out the window, "What the hell is going on, Ethan? Why do you have bugs that we put on Nancy in a hot cab?"

Ethan grimaced, "It's a long story, Hannibal and we don't really have time to go into it right now. Cuttey, some pal of Jimmie Harrington's brought Nancy into the shop about half an hour ago. They took the beacons, stuck me and Lumpy in here and told us to drive. They loaded Nan into an '82 Buick LaSabre."

"Where's the shop, Ethan?" Hannibal asked, grimacing as he saw that the light the other direction was turning yellow.

"That's not important, I think I know where they were probably going," Ethan said, ignoring the light as it turned green, "there's a warehouse, down by the river," he gave Hannibal the address, "I seen Cuttey and Harrington there a few days ago."

Hannibal waved him on and they followed him through a couple more lights before hitting a red again, "Listen kid, is there anything you can tell me about the warehouse?"

Ethan shrugged, "At the back there's a main office, with more offices up a stair just to the left. Under the stair is another door – it leads to some sort of basement area."

"Thanks, kid," Hannibal said gratefully, "Listen, just follow your instructions and keep driving. As long as you have the beacon on we can find you. I'll send someone out to follow you and bring you back."

"Thanks, Hannibal."

Lumpy watched as the van made a U-turn and headed back into town, "Who were those guys?"

Ethan looked at Lumpy in the rearview mirror, "Friends."

Reunion

Nancy's hands were cuffed behind her uncomfortably tight and the hood over her head was beginning to make her feel claustrophobic. Thankfully, that was removed as soon as they were inside the building.

She was taken to the basement, and led down a short hallway to what appeared to be a dungeon of sorts, "You know this place used to be used as holding cells for slaves during the height of the trade," Cuttey said. He unlocked the door at the end of the hallway and Nancy was shoved in behind him.

Nancy felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the scene in front of her. Murdock was dressed in nothing but a pair of shorts and shackled so he was suspended slightly off the floor on the back wall of the room. He was bloodied, burned, and bruised all over. Cuttey was watching her reaction with interest, "Let her loose."

Nancy's hands were uncuffed, and as soon as she was loose, she hurried to Murdock's side. She turned so her back was to Cuttey as she reached up and touched Murdock's face gently, "HM?"

His one eye opened. The other had a cut over it and was badly swollen. He looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, then the eye closed again

"HM?" Nancy asked, her voice strained. She turned and looked at Cuttey helplessly, "What have you done to him?"

Cuttey walked up to her and smiled, running a hand along her jaw, "The more appropriate question might be what _haven't_ I done," he said, holding her chin.

After a few seconds, he turned to Lewis, "Let the Captain down, he's no threat right now."

Nancy caught Murdock as Lewis released his shackles, trying to ease his fall to the floor of the cell as best she could. Lewis walked away callously, as Nancy cradled Murdock's head in her lap.

Nancy looked up at Cuttey desperately, "The least you could do is give us some water."

He smiled, "Think you have time to nurse the hubby back to health," he reached out in the hall and a bucket of water appeared. He dropped it on the floor near her, "Here you go – not that it'll make much difference."

"Enjoy what little time you have left remaining," added as he left the cell.

Hannibal was on a secured line to home base, "We gotta move, Zeb," Hannibal said, providing a succinct summary of what they knew, "I need all available men to meet me at the river front," he provided a location that was about four blocks from their target, "We'll be there in 30 minutes."

The sound of the lock closing seemed to rouse Murdock and he looked up at Nancy, shaking his head in disbelief, "You're real?" his voice was hoarse.

Nancy sighed in relief, at least he wasn't totally out of it, "Yes, I'm real," she said as she ran an exploratory hand down his arms and legs, much as he had done with Juanita.

As she ran her hands along his rib cage, she felt the tell-tale swelling, "How many broken ribs?" she asked.

He shifted uncomfortably on the cold, damp floor, "At least three, maybe four," he supplied, "and I've been having trouble breathing."

"Any other broken bones?"

"Not broken, not that I know of," he said weakly.

Nancy glanced in the bucket, belatedly realizing there was nothing anywhere in the room to use as a cup. She looked down at the voluminous maternity shirt she was wearing, found a weak spot and ripped a generous piece of it off, soaking it in the water.

As she held the dripping rag up to Murdock's lips and squeezed, he drank greedily. She repeated the process several times.

"Can you sit up?"

"You gotta be kidding," he said, but nodded as she helped him into a sitting position.

"Do you know if the kids are here?"

"Pretty sure," he said, "They took me out for a ride after they took me out of the room, but I'm pretty certain we came back to the same place."

Nancy started rubbing his arms and legs, and Murdock groaned when they started tingling and burning as the circulation returned.

It was his turn to ask a question, "You have a tracker? Please tell me you have a tracker and Hannibal and the guys are on their way."

Nancy concentrated on the task at hand, "The operative word there would be 'had', not 'have'," she said ruefully, "All is not lost, though," her thoughts drifted back to the chop shop – she was certain that it was Ethan Johnson that was driving the cab as the decoy. It was a glimmer of hope to hold onto.

Murdock asked another question, "How long have I been gone?"

"About three days," trying desperately to dissociate the wounds from the man as she worked to clean up the worst of them, "When was the last time you saw the kids?"

"They brought me here after just a few hours," he said, looking at her hopelessly, "what was Hannibal thinking sending you in here."

"We were thinking that there weren't a whole lot of options," she said shortly, "Cuttey is kinda holding all the cards – not just you, but the kids."

"He's not going to let either one of us leave here alive," Murdock said, leaning his head back against the wall.

"What happened to the eternal optimist that I married?" Nancy asked, taking another piece of her shirt, wetting it, and wiping his face.

"I wish you weren't here," he said simply, looking up at her seriously.

"Do you really?" she looked at him directly.

He just shook his head, "We've got nothin', Short Cake."

"We have each other," Nancy said, leaning in and giving him a gentle hug, whispering in his ear, "and a gun."

He looked at her in surprise, but it hurt too much to smile.

When Hannibal arrived at the rendezvous, Zeb already had a full scale recon operation underway.

"We're pretty certain that the kids and their mother are being held in one of the upstairs offices. Nancy and Murdock's location isn't known yet."

Hannibal pulled the warehouse plans that Zeb had acquired forward and jabbed a gloved finger at the sub basement, "I'd bet their down there, which is going to make getting them out tricky."

Jeff was fitting each of them with their own headset so they could join the operation.

Zeb put a hand to his ear, "Kennedy's headed this direction, apparently he just can't stay away."

Hannibal nodded, "If possible, we wait until Kennedy's in the snare," he said, "I'd really like to nail that bastard."

Zeb had a hand to his ear again, "Everyone is in position, Colonel," Zeb pulled the area map forward, "Red and Blue teams are here and here, Yellow and Green are here and here," basically the entire warehouse was flanked.

Hannibal slid the bud into place, "Not quite everyone," he turned and looked at Face and BA, "Ready guys?"

They headed down the street to the warehouse, taking up a position just across from the main entrance.

A voice crackled over the com, "They've brought the girl out of the upstairs and are heading down into the basement."

This news came just as Kennedy pulled up outside the warehouse. He was driving an old beater and was dressed in a disguise, but there was no mistaking the swagger.

Hannibal spoke softly into his mic, "We move on my signal, I want Red and Green to take the upstairs, Blue and Yellow take the main floor."

He turned and looked at Zeb, "You, Face and Larry head down to the basement and get Callie, Nancy and Murdock – it's gonna be tight quarters."

Nancy had managed to slip the gun behind Murdock while she was ministering to him. She had then examined the entire inside of the cell, which unfortunately didn't take long, and didn't yield a whole lot of information. Murdock was sitting propped up against the wall, and periodically she would get him a drink of water. When she heard the lock on the door, she was at Murdock's side.

Cuttey walked in followed closely by Harrington, "So, how's the happy couple?"

They heard a scrambling behind them, and Nancy turned to see Callie being dragged into the room bodily, cursing and kicking Lewis, who held her.

Cuttey grabbed her by the hair. He was holding a 6" knife and smiled coyly at Nancy, "See here, we got ourselves a nice little family reunion."

"Gotta hide behind a kid, Cuttey?" Murdock sneared, "That's low even for a low-life like you."

Cuttey's eyes narrowed, "Let's talk about who's in control, here Captain, because last time I looked it was me," he said, "Shall I tell your loving wife what we've been doing to while away the lonely hours down here? Do you think she'll ever look at you the same way again?"

Nancy squeezed Murdock's hand reassuringly before she turned to Cuttey, "What do you want?" she asked, looking at Callie worriedly, "What does Callie have to do with this?"

Cuttey smiled, "You'll find out," he said quietly.

Nancy turned and crouched next Murdock, trying to integrate this new information. She looked down at her husband, and he motioned imperceptibly – he had moved his hand behind his back, where the gun was, but there were three men in the room, and Cuttey had a knife at Callie's throat. Murdock only had a clear shot at two of the three – he needed her to get Callie out of the way.

Just then at the end of the hall, another voice could be heard, "Mr. Cuttey, are you starting without me?" Kennedy came walking in, a smug smile on his face.

Nancy stiffened, and when she looked down at Murdock she could see his jaw tense. His gaze followed Kennedy into the room, where he stopped so he was standing directly behind Nancy.

Kennedy 'tsked' as he looked down at the two of them, "It would appear that I was correct, your husband was in grave danger," he took her arm and pulled her up and swung her around, reaching down and running a hand over her belly, then hooking it behind her waist, pulling her in close, "And so are you my dear."

Murdock shifted, growling, and Kennedy looked down at him, "How sweet, the Captain wants to rescue his loving wife. Unfortunately, I'm afraid he's the one who needs rescued."

Kennedy looked back at Nancy, his breath hot on her face as he continued, "Tell me, Nancy, are you willing to beg for your life? For your husband's?"

Nancy closed her eyes, willing herself to remain calm, "Please, let him go," she whispered.

Kennedy held her tightly around the waist, and ran his other hand down her cheek, sliding it around her neck, and lifting her face, cradling her jaw in his hand "I couldn't hear you . . ."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, "He has nothing to do with this. Niether does Callie. It's between you and me – please, let them go."

His hand closed on her throat, tightening painfully, "But don't you see, Nancy, they have everything to do with this. I wonder, how far would you go to keep them safe?"

Nancy swallowed painfully. Her entire line of vision was consumed with Kennedy's face, and she looked at him fearfully, "Please," she whispered.

Kennedy smiled slowly, his eyes glittering with malice. His fingers had tightened to the point where she was having trouble breathing.

He leaned in close to her ear, "You forgot the sugar," he said. He released her and turned towards Cuttey. When he turned back, there was a knife in his hand and he held it out to her.

Nancy looked at him uncertainly, and he smiled, "Go on, take it," he encouraged, as she reached out hesitantly, "Try anything, and the girl is dead," he added, as her fingers closed around the hilt of the weapon.

Kennedy stepped back and looked at her standing there with the knife, "Must be frustrating, having me so close, and not being able to use your weapon . . ." he said musingly.

He turned and motioned Cuttey forward, "Remember, if she doesn't slit the Captain's throat by the time you count to three, you slit the girl's."

Cuttey moved forward, dragging Callie with him, and firm hand on her neck, "Do you understand, Mrs. Murdock?"

Nancy licked dry lips, looking at Callie, whose eyes were wide with terror. She looked at Kennedy, who now stood behind Cuttey, smirking, "So, Nancy, tell me, does the girl mean enough to you to kill your husband? Or would you prefer to live with her death?"

"In the end, does it really matter?" Nancy asked quietly.

Kennedy's smile broadened, "Perhaps . . . we'll just have to see how this little play unfolds, won't we. Right now, you have a choice to make – your husband or the girl."

"Nancy," Callie cried desperately.

Murdock looked up at Callie, his look calm, "Hush, Cal, remember what we talked about . . . you have to be strong."

"I'm becoming very impatient, Mrs. Murdock," Cuttey said quietly. He raised his knife and pointed it at her, "There's no escape, – you and you're loving husband have exchanged your last goodbye. Now you have until the count of three . . ."

As Cuttey was talking, Nancy turned and crouched next to her husband, the knife gripped tightly in her hand, "I'm so sorry, HM," she said, lifting the knife,

"It's OK Short Cake," he croaked, "It's the only way."

"NO! NO!" Callie said frantically, as Cuttey started counting, "One . . . two . . ."

"Strawberry, be quiet," Nancy said sternly.

As Cuttey said 'three', Nancy caught him by surprise, and with one hand she grabbed Callie by her shirt, pulling her down to the floor, while bringing her other hand with the knife forward and plunging it up into his chest. He looked at her in surprise, lashing out with his knife and catching her with a solid blow across her shoulder before stumbling and falling forward to the floor, coughing up blood.

Meanwhile, Murdock had pulled the gun out and quickly squeezed off two shots, hitting Lewis and Harrington before they had time to react. Once Cuttey went down, he leveled the gun at Kennedy, with a growl, "Give me a reason, any reason," Kennedy wisely chose to raise his hands in the air.

Overhead, they could hear the sound of running feet. Nancy was trying to stem the flow of blood from her shoulder as she stumbled to her feet, "Shit – we're gonna have company!"

"Strawberry, close the door," Murdock ordered. Callie had been lying on the floor where Nancy had shoved her, looking in shock at the carnage around her. She pulled her feet out from under Cuttey, grimacing at the blood on her pants. However, she reacted quickly to the direct order, hurrying over to the cell door and closing it.

"But HM, the lock's on the outside . . ." she said tightly.

Nancy was struggling with Harrington's body, being the closest to the door, "Cal, help me move him in front of the door."

Callie moved to Nancy's side, and together they dragged Harrington's dead body in front of the door. Overhead, they heard automatic gunfire, and a welcome sound - Hannibal's voice, "Alright, all scumballs, hands where I can see them. The next one that moves get's his head blown off."

Nancy stopped and grasped Callie's hand, "They made it . . ."

"They always do," Murdock said quietly.

Nancy turned and looked at Murdock, noticing that he was starting to look very gray. Glancing down, she pulled a set of handcuffs from Harrington's belt, and walked over to Kennedy, "Hands behind your back," she said.

Kennedy looked at her defiantly, until Murdock growled, "Listen asshole, I've about had it – it'd be easier to just shoot you. Now get your fuckin' hands behind your back." Kennedy complied, and Nancy cuffed his hands, looking at her husband worriedly.

As soon as Kennedy was cuffed, Murdock slumped to one side. The last few minutes had taken every last ounce of his energy.

Nancy hurried to his side, "HM?"

"I'm gonna be OK, Short Cake," he whispered, just before he passed out.

Overhead, Hannibal was barking out orders as the bad guys were quickly subdued and rounded up. Footsteps pounded down the stairs, and Nancy called out, "We're at the end of the hall."

Murdock roused slightly, as the door was opened and caught on Harrington's body. Outside they could hear Face's voice, "Damn it, I can't get the door open – give me a hand, Zeb."

Together, Face and Zeb got the door pushed open enough to get through, taking in the scene quickly, Zeb spoke into his mic, "We need a medic team in the basement, stat."

Face looked at Callie, putting a hand on her shoulder and scanning her to ensure that none of the blood on her clothing was hers, "You OK, Cal?" she nodded mutely. Next he turned to Nancy, who had blood dripping down her arm, "How about you?" he asked, looking at her shoulder.

Nancy held a hand over the cut on her shoulder, and indicated Murdock, "HM needs the attention, I'm OK."

Face nodded, and knelt next to Murdock, immediately beginning to inventory the damage.

"Aren't ya gonna ask me how I am, Facey?" Murdock asked weakly, wincing as Face's exploring fingers found the cracked ribs.

"Don't need to, you look like shit," Face said caustically, "Now be quiet and sit still, while I make sure it's safe to move you."

Zeb looked at Nancy's shoulder, "Nan, take Callie upstairs and see one of the paramedics up there – we'll have HM out in a few minutes. Right now we need the room to get the gurney in here with the medics."

Nancy nodded and led Callie out into the hall, past the medics and upstairs.

Zeb watch her leave, then turned to Larry, "Check Lukjan, Harrington, and Lewis – make sure they're dead," then he indicated Kennedy with a jerk of the head, "Then take this dickhead upstairs and let the cops deal with him."

Nancy and Callie reached the first floor just as Juanita was being brought down from the upstairs. Callie was gripping Nancy's hand, and started towards the gurney, but Nancy found that her legs were no longer functional, and dropped right where she stood. Callie stopped and looked at her in concern, "Nan?"

Hannibal turned when he heard Callie, and was at Nancy's side in a flash, "Nancy, are you alright?"

Nancy looked at him blankly, finding it difficult to understand what he was saying because of the blood roaring through her ears. She shook her head, hoping to clear some of the cobwebs.

Hannibal crouched next to her, "Nancy, are you alright?"

Comprehension dawned and Nancy nodded, "Yea, Hannibal, I'm just wonderful," she said as Hannibal unwrapped her arm.

Hannibal motioned to another medic crew, "C'mon, let's get that arm taken care of."

"Nancy?" Callie was looking at her, and watching as her mother was carried out of the warehouse.

Nancy looked up at Callie and smiled wanly, "Go on, Cal, I'll be OK. Just need to sit for a minute," she said, as a medic showed up at her side.

Callie looked her uncertainly, but Nancy waved her on, "Go on, Callie, go see your Mom," and Callie finally did move over to her mother.

Juanita's eyes fluttered open as Callie approached, and she smiled wanly, "Is that my Cal-girl?" she asked weakly.

Jack, who was being led down the stairs by BA, broke from his side, and ran to Callie, flinging his arms around her and clinging to her, "I thought you was dead," he sobbed brokenly.

Callie patted his back, "We're gonna be OK, Jackie. Cuttey can't hurt us anymore."

She looked at her Mother, "Mom, are you OK?"

Juanita reached up and touched Callie's cheek, but her look was pained, "I feel better just knowin' you kids are gonna be alright."

Callie took her hand, "They'll take good care of you Mom. You'll be better in no time."

Juanita smiled, as one of the paramedics stepped up, "We've gotta get moving, kiddo, you can meet us at the hospital. You'll see your Mom there."

As Juanita was taken out to a waiting ambulance, Nancy came over, with a medic following her, "You'll need to go to the hospital to get stitches, Ms. Murdock," he said.

Nancy nodded, catching sight of Maggie coming through the door. She and Maggie reached the children at about the same time.

Maggie looked at her bandaged shoulder and put a hand under her chin, taking in the darkening bruises on her throat, "He said you need stitches," she said matter-of-factly.

"The kids need to go to the hospital," Nancy said, "Juanita's in that ambulance."

Maggie nodded, "I'll take them . . ." she stopped as Kennedy appeared at the top of the stairs, with Larry following closely behind, "So, that bastard's still alive."

Nancy turned, and watched as Kennedy moved across the warehouse floor. He stopped when he was near her, looking at her evenly, he smiled, "It's been a pleasure, as always, Nancy. Maybe next time, I'll get to finish this."

Joe had appeared, and took Kennedy's arm, "Let's go, Kennedy," he said severely, "It's gonna be awhile before you're finishing anything."

Nancy's jaw had clenched, but she was distracted from Kennedy as the gurney carrying Murdock appeared at the head of the stairs. She glanced at Kennedy one last time as Joe herded him out to a waiting police cruiser, then hurried over to her husband.

Maggie turned to the kids, "Come on, I'll get you to the hospital."

Nancy stopped by Murdock and took his hand, but his eyes didn't open, and she looked up at the paramedic, seeking assurance that he was going to be alright.

The paramedic that had been following Nancy around, looked at the medic with Murdock, "She needs stitches," he said, indicating her shoulder, "it's a pretty bad cut."

He nodded, and looked at Nancy sympathetically, "He's OK, we just gave him a sedative. I'm Dan – why don't you ride in the ambulance to the hospital with us and we'll get that arm looked at."

Not Good News

Dr. Lyons walked into the waiting room, taking in the rag tag crew that was sitting there. Callie and Jack were sitting between Nancy, whose shoulder was bandaged, and Maggie. The police had left barely half an hour earlier, after taking statements from Nancy and the kids. They were all bone weary and worried.

Dr. Lyons walked over, "Mrs. Murdock, it's good to see you again."

Nancy stood, "How are HM and Juanita?" she asked anxiously.

"Your husband is stable. He has extensive internal bruising, though it doesn't appear to be outright bleeding. He has four broken and two cracked ribs. Two of the ribs had punctured the left lung. In addition, he was dehydrated. We've done all we can right now, it's just a matter of waiting and watching, but I think his chances are very good."

He looked at the children sympathetically, "Ms. Temple, unfortunately, has been in need of medical attention for several days. She's in surgery now, and it'll be awhile before we know any more. But for right now, I can take you in to see your husband."

Callie grabbed Nancy's hand desperately, "Can we come, too, Nan?"

Nancy looked at Dr. Lyons questioningly, and he smiled, "Certainly."

In HM's room, the sound of the vacuum pump hooked to Murdock's chest cavity masked the sound of their entry. Murdock lay in the bed, his eyes closed, but as they walked up to the bed, he opened them, though one was barely a slit, "Hey," he said, as Nancy leaned down and kissed his cheek, he smiled, "How are ya, Short Cake?"

Nancy smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Better than you."

"How 'bout you two?"

"OK," Jack said quietly, "HM, you sure you're alright? You don't look so good."

"Looks worse than it is, buddy," Murdock said reassuringly, then looked at Callie askently, "Strawberry?"

Callie stepped to his bed side, tears glistening in her eyes, "I'm so sorry, HM."

He reached up and patted her cheek, "You got nothin' to be sorry about, Strawberry. This wasn't your fault."

The Vigil

Nancy woke and slid out from under a sleeping Jack, curling him carefully next to his sister in the hospital bench seat that they had slid in from the hall way. She walked out into the hall, where her father was waiting with Maggie, and Sherry Evanston, all of whom had shown up soon after they'd arrived at the hospital.

"Cup of coffee?" Maggie offered.

Nancy shook her head, "No thanks, Mags."

Her father looked at her in concern, "Sweetheart, you should go home and get some rest."

Nancy glanced back towards the room, "The kids are asleep, at least for now. I can't ask them to leave while their Mom is in surgery."

"At least they ate," Maggie said, "And you should too."

"Cafeteria is long closed by now," Nancy said dismissively.

"I'll go get you a sandwich or something at the all night grocery deli," Carl offered.

"Thanks."

Nancy had eaten half of the sandwich her father brought her when a doctor in scrubs approached, "Juanita Temple family?"

Sherry stepped forward, "Hi, I'm Sherry Evanston, I guess I'm the closest thing Nee has to family besides the kids. And this is the children's foster mother, Nancy Murdock."

He held out a hand, "I'm Dr. Rosewood," he said, shaking her hand, "I'm sorry to say that the news regarding Ms. Temple is not good. We spent quite a bit of time trying to clean out numerous internal infections, including a particularly bad intrauterine infection that had move into her ovaries and other adjacent systems. I'm afraid we've done all we can. She's on antibiotics, and we've got her in intensive care. We'll be watching her closely. Hopefully she can pull through."

"Thank you, Doctor," Sherry said. She shook her head and turned to Nancy, "We should really get the kids home, we'll come back tomorrow. Hopefully the news is better then."

Nancy walked into Murdock's room, and found Murdock awake. She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge, "Hey, are you OK?" she asked, keeping her voice low to avoid waking Jack and Callie.

He took her hand, "I'll be fine, Short Cake," Murdock said, "You should take the kids home."

"I was just getting them headed there," she agreed, "Their Mom is out of surgery, but they've got her in intensive care," she shook her head, "It doesn't sound too good."

"How are you?" Murdock asked.

"I'd be better if you were out of the hospital and back to chasing me around the house," Nancy said with a little smile.

He grinned at her, "Before you know it, Short Cake, before you know it."

Single-Seater

The next day, Nancy got Jack and Callie up and moving fairly early, even though they had come home late. They made it into the hospital by 8am, and tried to go up to see Juanita but were told that there was already a visitor and they would have to wait. Nancy told the ICU nurse where they would be and requested a call when they could come see Juanita. They were in visiting with Murdock when Dr. Rosewood stopped by, "I was wondering if I could have a word, Ms. Murdock."

Nancy nodded, and followed the doctor into the hall, "What is it Doctor?"

His look was not encouraging, "I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but apparently we didn't get all of the infection. She's spiked a fever overnight. In addition, early this morning, she started showing signs of jaundice, so we ran some blood tests. Her internal systems seem to be shutting down. She's really too weak to do any further surgery, but I'm afraid that if we don't get the infection under control, we're going to lose her. We'll be prepping her for surgery within half an hour.

He looked at the floor, then up at Nancy, and she could tell this was weighing heavily on him, "I really think the children should go see her before she goes into surgery again . . . just in case."

Nancy had her arms crossed, "You don't think she'll survive?"

He sighed, "Her chances don't look very good – but surgery is the best option."

Nancy nodded, "I, um, I'll get the kids . . ." she said, turning into Murdock's room.

Nancy walked over to Murdock and put her hand over his, "We have to go up and see Juanita, now," she said quietly, glancing back as Callie and Jack walked forward. Murdock looked up at her questioningly and she shook her head slightly, afraid to trust herself to speak, she turned and took Callie and Jack by the hand and led them upstairs.

Juanita was lying on her bed with instruments beeping all around her. Sherry turned as they came in, her face looked strained, "Hi," she stepped back and motioned them forward, "Your Mom wants to see you."

As Callie and Jack stepped forward, Juanita opened her eyes, "Hey Cal-girl . . . and is that my little Jackie?" she reached out.

"Mom," Callie said tentatively, "Mom, when can we go home?"

"Me, too, Mommy," Jack said, "I want to go home."

Tears slipped down Juanita's cheeks, "Not yet, sweetheart, not yet," she smiled, "You remember our song, Jackie . . ."

_My desire is a rosebud  
In the magic design.  
I can't wait to feel it bloom  
They'll be landin' anytime.  
Then when the skeptics are wonderin'  
Where all the faithful have flown,  
We'll be on enchanted sky machines  
The gentle are goin' home._

Juanita reached up and touched each of her children's faces, "I'm afraid that this is a single seater, bambinos," she whispered, as she struggled for control.

Nancy stepped forward, putting her arms around the kids, "C'mon, guys, she's just going into surgery." she took a deep breath, "Now, give your Mom a kiss and tell her you'll see her soon."

Juanita looked at Nancy gratefully, as she hugged and kissed each of the children.

As Nancy led them out of the room Sherry moved forward, and looked at Juanita, tears in her eyes, "Nee, everything's going to be OK."

Juanita sighed, "But just in case, Sher," she said, "If anything . . . happens to me, please, tell them that their Mama loves them . . . and I'll always be watching over them."

Hannibal and Maggie walked into Murdock's room. Maggie walked straight up to his bed side, leaning down to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "How are you feeling, HM?"

He smiled at her, "I think I'm gonna live, Mags."

"I'm glad to hear it," she said, "it's good to see you awake and alert. Are Nancy and kids getting lunch?"

Murdock shook his head, "Dr. Rosewood stopped by and afterwards, Nancy took Callie and Jack up to see their mother," he sighed heavily, "She didn't say anything, but she looked pretty upset . . . I have a feeling it wasn't good news.

Maggie nodded, she had spoken with Rosewood earlier – things didn't look good for Juanita Temple.

Hannibal still hung back at the door, his arms crossed as he watched his wife talking to his pilot . . . his pilot, Murdock was more than a pilot to him. The relief he felt knowing that Murdock was going to be OK, was countered by the knowledge that he was presently furious with him.

Hannibal finally walked forward, as Maggie stood up. She looked first at Hannibal, then back at Murdock, whose expression had blackened as he regarded his commanding officer, "Well, I know you two have a lot to talk about," she said, squeezing Murdock's hand, she looked at him intently, "Just remember, we've all done the best we can under the circumstances."

She patted Hannibal's arm as she walked out of the room, flashing him a supportive smile. She closed the door quietly behind her.

Hannibal moved to the side of the bed, "Maggie's right, it's good to see you awake and alert."

Murdock looked up at him, "Colonel, I . . .," he stopped, trying to keep his voice level, "I cannot believe you would send a pregnant woman into that situation . . ."

Hannibal nodded, "No, I don't suppose you can," he agreed, to Murdock's surprise, "But at the time there weren't a lot of options."

"There are always options, Hannibal," Murdock said harshly.

"There were no other _good_ options, Murdock."

"She . . . they . . . could have been killed," he said tightly, feeling a surge of the panic he had felt when he'd seen Nancy walk into that cell.

Hannibal considered Murdock seriously. Normally, he would tell him that he didn't have to explain his actions to a subordinate. But their positions had changed subtly and inexorably over the last few years, and he felt like he owed him an explanation.

"Listen, Murdock, Nancy knew what she was walking into. We reviewed scenario upon scenario, looking for any other way out. The best option was to send her in while we knew there was a good chance you were still alive. Otherwise, Cuttey would have killed you and we still would have had to deal with how to get the kids out. In the end, he was holding all the cards. We had to go with our strongest position, and that was with all of you alive, with the hope that you could help."

Murdock considered that for several minutes, and finally said, "If I knew this was the end, that this was the last time this would happen . . ." Murdock looked at Hannibal hollowly, "Kennedy's still alive. And so far, we've only had to deal with one guy that has it in for Nan . . . and we knew he was coming. What about all the people we've put away, Hannibal? What happens the next time, when one of them decides to get even?"

Murdock had put into words exactly what every one of them had at the back of their minds. But then, that had always been Murdock's talent, putting into words what they were all feeling. Hannibal's biggest problem was that he didn't have an answer.

Carl Clay was standing out in the hall when Maggie came out of Murdock's room, "How is HM doing?"

Maggie shrugged, "I think it's going to be awhile before he's running the 100-yard dash, but everything considered, he's doing pretty good," she said.

"Is Nancy in there?" Carl's concern was reflected plainly in his face.

"No, she went upstairs with the kids to see Juanita," Maggie sighed, "I'm afraid it doesn't look good for her – they've scheduled her for another surgery. I spoke with Dr. Rosewood, he gives her about a 30 chance in her weakened condition."

Carl ran a hand back through his hair, "I just came from the courthouse. Kennedy has insisted that he be given a timely bail hearing, claiming that he was forced to witness what had happened by Mr. Lukjan, and had nothing to do with the whole thing."

"Surely the judge isn't going to buy that . . .," Maggie said in disbelief.

"Not if I can help it," Carl said stridently, "But Kennedy has some powerful people in his back pocket."

"I just can't believe this," Maggie said, "It's like the guy has nine lives."

"Listen, Maggie, I've gotta get to the police station," he said, "I've got a meeting with Joe to find out what they've been able to gather since yesterday. Nancy and HM don't need any added stress right now – tell Nan I stopped by and I'll be back to see her later."

Maggie was standing in the hall when Dr. Phillips walked up behind her, "Dr. Sullivan, you had called?"

Maggie smiled, "Dr. Phillips, I'm so glad you could come . . ."

When Nancy and the kids came back down from ICU, Maggie and Dr. Phillips were waiting for them in the hall outside Murdock's room.

Maggie could see the strain on Nancy's face and she held out a hand to Callie and Jack "C'mon you two, let's go get some lunch. Dr. Phillips wants to see Nancy right now."

Nancy waved the kids on, "Go on, guys, I'll catch up with you."

Dr. Phillips took Nancy's arm and led her to an empty hospital room, closing the door. She turned and looked at Nancy critically, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a Mack truck," Nancy said honestly.

Dr. Phillips suppressed a smile, and had her sit down on the bed, while she took her blood pressure.

Dr. Phillips rolled the blood pressure cuff and stuck it in her pocket, without comment, "Let's get you laid down," she said, helping Nancy lie back on the bed.

She pulled a Doppler out of her other pocket, lifted Nancy's shirt and located the twins heartbeats.

As she worked, she talked to Nancy, "How's HM doing?"

"He has broken and cracked ribs, a punctured lung, extensive internal bruising, . . ." Nancy sighed, "I guess, everything considered, he's doing pretty well," she smiled as she heard the heartbeat of one of the twins.

Dr. Phillips nodded, "I spoke with Dr. Lyons, he said HM was going to be just fine, but uncomfortable for awhile," she wiped Nancy's belly off and pulled out the tape measure, "Sounds like you had quite a bit of excitement – so much for taking easy," she said as she measure Nancy's belly.

She put the tape measure back in her pocket and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Nancy, "The twins seem to be doing OK, despite recent . . . events," she said carefully, "And your blood pressure is actually pretty good."

She lifted Nancy's arm, "What happened here?"

"I . . . cut it," Nancy said uncertainly, "It wasn't too bad."

"How much blood did you lose?"

Nancy shrugged, and Dr. Phillips sighed, "Alright, well, I'd really like you to try and rest, but I understand that that will likely be a challenge for awhile," she put a hand on Nancy's arm, "Please try though. You need to take care of yourself."

Dr. Phillips patted Nancy's arm and stood up, "I'll let you get some lunch," she smiled, "Make an appointment for sometime next week."

Carl and Joe stood in the evidence room, poring through the evidence that had been gathered. Carl picked up a picture of Nancy's neck, his jaw clenching as he considered the dark bruising, "Who did this?"

Joe glanced over, "Kennedy."

Carl set the picture aside, and turned to Joe, "Did you get any physical evidence off her."

Joe nodded, "Yes, but it's still in DNA, I doubt that we'll have results by the hearing."

Carl picked the photo up again, then looked closer, grabbing a magnifying glass, he smiled, "Maybe we don't need the DNA."

"What have you got?" Joe asked curiously.

Carl handed the photo to Joe and indicated a curiously shaped bruise on one side of Nancy's neck, "We need to take a look at Kennedy's personal effects, but I'm betting that his signet ring is going to be an exact match for that bruise. Should be enough to deny bail."

Hannibal stood at the window, looking out reflectively. He and Murdock had talked for a long time about the problems that their previous lives could present to their families. Murdock had drifted off to sleep, and Hannibal was left to mull over what they had discussed. They had spent so many years on the run, he was unwilling to push them into that cycle again. He needed to talk to Stockwell, but he felt certain that he would agree. There were options for keeping them safe without upending their lives.

The door opened and Face poked his head in, "Hey Hannibal, Murdock's asleep, huh?"

As Hannibal turned from the window, Murdock waved a groggy hand, "C'mon in, Face, I'm awake."

Face opened the door, and BA was standing there as well. They both moved into the room.

BA stood stiffly at the end of the bed, looking at Murdock worriedly, "We won' stay long – just wanted to know how the crazy man doin' . . ."

Murdock grinned at him, "Ahh, isn't that sweet? BA's worried 'bout little ol' me."

Face pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and sat down, glancing at BA to see if he was going to rise to Murdock's barb or not. The big man just stood there and glared, so Face turned back to Murdock, "Keep that up and you're gonna have a couple black eyes added to the list of injuries," he said with a slight grin, "How're you feeling, Murdock?"

He shrugged, "Been better," he said, adding ruefully, "Been worse."

The door opened, and Nancy came in, looking at the four men with a shake of her head. She stopped at the end of the bed next to BA, looking at her husband knowingly, "Think he's gonna live, BA?"

BA looked at her, his eyes twinkling, "'Fraid so."

Murdock smiled, "I'll be around to give you grief for a long time, BA!"

"Good," BA said simply.

They stayed for a few more minutes, bantering back and forth. Hannibal noticed Murdock's eyes drooping, and called for an exit, "Alright, you two, we should get out of here and let Murdock get some rest."

As they left, Hannibal put a hand on Nancy's shoulder, "I'm gonna go find Maggie . . ."

"She took the kids to lunch, Hannibal," Nancy supplied.

"Have you eaten anything?"

Nancy smiled, "They'll be bringing up HM's lunch in a little bit, and the nurse said they'd bring me something, too."

Face stopped at the door, "Listen, Nan, if you need anything, just let us know," he said solicitously, "Amy said she'd wait a few days to come, but I . . ." he stopped, glancing back at Murdock, who's eyes were already closed, "I had to see him," he finished quietly.

"Thanks, Face," she said, "It means a lot to HM, that you worry so much," she looked up at BA with a slight smile, "You, too, BA."

"Take care, little mama," BA said, "Like Face say, if you need anything, jus' call. Me and Char'll do what we can."

Hannibal stopped at the door, "Maggie and I will keep the kids occupied for a little while, so you can get some rest," he said, "Besides, it'll keep their minds off their Mom."

"Thanks a million, Hannibal."

As the door closed behind them, Nancy turned back into the room, and took a seat in the chair Face had just vacated. Murdock's eyes were open, and he was looking at her searchingly, "What did Dr. Phillips say?"

"She said everything was fine," Nancy said, closing a hand over his, "Now try to get some rest."

He turned his hand over, closing his fingers around hers, "This is the first time we've been alone since . . ." he stopped, "I just wondered, you know, how you really are."

Nancy laid her head down on his shoulder, "I'm going to be fine as soon as you're . . . home," she choked as she realized how close he had come to not coming home. She could feel her composure slipping as the stress and tension of the last few days caught up with her all at once.

Murdock smoothed her hair, "Shh, everything is going to be OK," he whispered, "We're both gonna be OK."

She laid there crying for several minutes, unable to stem the tears, or talk. Finally, she sat up and reached over, taking a Kleenex, wiping her face, and blowing her nose.

She looked at him ruefully, "Sorry . . ."

"I woulda worried about you if you hadn't let loose," Murdock said, wiping a stray tear with his thumb, "you don't have anything to be sorry about."

"If we had just stayed in Houston, like you wanted . . ." Nancy said miserably.

"It would have happened a few days later, but it still would have happened," Murdock said matter-of-factly.

Nancy shook her head, "We would have been better prepared . . ."

". . . for someone to nab you," he said.

"HM, you and I both know that if I hadn't been so damn stubborn . . ."

". . . I'd be dead," Murdock said, looking at her directly, "just stop it, Nan. What happened, happened. All the second-guessing isn't going to change it."

They sat quietly for a few minutes, before Murdock continued, "Hannibal and I talked," he said quietly, "I don't want to go through this again," possibly with the rolls reversed, he thought, but didn't say aloud, "we talked about a couple different options . . . including an identity change."

"You can't be serious, HM," Nancy said incredulously, "Our life is here, in Langley. You can't seriously be contemplating leaving this all behind."

"If it's the only way to keep you safe . . . to keep _all_ of you safe . . ." he said earnestly, "then yes, I would consider it."

Nancy shook her head, "I can't," she said quietly, adding more forcefully, "I won't. I won't have some low life force me to give up my life. There has to be another way."

Murdock had known she'd feel that way and in all honesty, he did too. He just had to trust that Hannibal could come up with another option.

Maggie and Jack were sitting in the waiting room, playing a game of go fish. Callie sat off to one side, watching, but not really paying attention.

Hannibal walked over and sat down next to her, "How you holdin' up, kiddo?"

Callie's arms were crossed, "I'm fine," she said shortly.

Hannibal nodded, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"What happened?" she asked blankly.

"Callie, you watched as three men were killed, that is bound to have an affect on you . . ."

Callie gritted her teeth, "I'm not sorry they're dead, if that's what you mean," she said coldly.

"I wouldn't expect you to be sorry," Hannibal said, "But still, that's a hard thing for you to see."

Callie looked up at him, "Not as hard as seein' Mom . . . or HM . . .," she said tightly.

Hannibal nodded in agreement.

A couple hours later, Nancy and Murdock had both drifted off to sleep, Nancy with her head lying on Murdock's arm. Dr. Rosewood walked up to Nancy, touching her lightly on the arm to wake her.

Nancy sat up groggily, slowly remembering where she was, "Dr. Rosewood? How's Juanita?"

As she asked the question, she saw Sherry Evanston standing by the door crying silently and she knew the answer before Dr. Rosewood said "I'm afraid the strain was too much for her. She passed away just a little bit ago. I'm very sorry."

Nancy sat back and closed her eyes, "Have you told Callie and Jack?"

Dr. Rosewood shook his head, "No, this was the first place I came."

"They're probably still down at the waiting room."

In the waiting room, Callie was the first to see Nancy, Sherry, and Dr. Rosewood walk in, and stood, "How's Mom doin'?"

"Strawberry, . . ." Nancy started.

Dr. Rosewood looked at Callie sympathetically, "I'm afraid your Mother passed away."

Jack stood from the table, walking forward, "Passed away?" he asked curiously.

Callie was breathing heavily, "Died, Jack, it means she died."

"Mommy's . . . dead?" Jack's face crumpled.

Nancy leaned down and put her arms around him, "I'm so sorry, Jack . . ."

She glanced over at Callie, who watched her brother for a moment, then turned and walked out without a word.

Nancy glanced up at Hannibal, who put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll go talk to her."

Hannibal caught up with Callie in the hallway and grabbed her arm, "Whoa, where are you going?"

Tears were streaming down her face, "What does it matter?"

Hannibal shrugged, "It matters to me."

Callie looked at him disbelievingly, "Why?"

He leaned down and looked directly in her face, "Because, you just found out your Mom is dead – and that really sucks, kid."

She took a deep shuddering breath, "I didn't want her to die . . . not really."

"Of course you didn't."

"But I said . . . I said I wished she were dead," she breathed

"So?" Hannibal said, "Every kid wishes their parents were dead at one time or another. That's not why your Mom died, Cal. It's got nothin' to do with it."

Callie's gaze dropped to the floor, then she looked back up, "What about HM?"

Hannibal stood and looked at her curiously, "What about HM?"

"I'm the one who called Cuttey," Callie said, almost defiantly, though her face betrayed her fear of the reaction.

"Oh, _that_," Hannibal said, nodding, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's my fault," Callie said, her face crumpling, "It's all my fault. My Mom is dead and HM's in the hospital and it's all my fault."

"That's an awful lot of guilt for one little girl to be carrying around," he said quietly, "Misplaced guilt at that. What happened to your Mom . . . what happened to HM . . . none of it was your fault, Callie."

She looked at Hannibal disbelievingly, "When Nan finds out . . . she's gonna hate me!"

Hannibal grabbed her arms and looked at her severely, "Nancy already knows," he said, allowing that knowledge to sink in before continuing, "She doesn't blame you, and you shouldn't blame yourself."

"She knows?"

"Yes, she knows," he said certainly, "Callie, there are things we have control over in our lives, and things that we don't – you need to know the difference. Besides, there's no point in beating yourself up over what's past."

Hannibal stood up, "Maybe it would be best if you talked to Nancy about this," he suggested.

Callie looked at him uncertainly, but she followed as he walked back towards the waiting room.

Nancy was sitting in a chair with Jack on her lap. She looked up at Callie as she walked into the room, "Are you OK, Strawberry?"

Callie looked at Nancy uncertainly, "Nan, you know . . ." she hesitated, "I called Cuttey that day."

Jack slipped off Nancy's lap, as she looked up at Callie and nodded, "Yes, I know, Cal," she said quietly, "The phone records from the house clued us into that pretty early on."

Callie looked at the floor, then back up at Nancy, "He told me if I didn't that he'd hurt us . . . me and Jack . . . and Mom."

Nancy nodded in understanding, "That's what you talked about when you saw him at the museum, isn't it?"

Callie nodded mutely.

Nancy looked at her hands weighing what to say. She finally reached out and took Callie's hands, looking at her earnestly, "Cal, there's a lot of things that I think you and I both wish would have happened differently, over the past week or so," she said, "I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me the truth about Cuttey . . . but I understand why you didn't. I wish we would have stayed in Houston . . . but at the time, I really wanted to be home. I wish . . . I wish it was possible to live life without regrets, but it just isn't.

Nancy reached up and brushed Callie's hair out of her face, "Most of all, I wish you and Jack hadn't lost your Mom . . . but you did and, Cal, you gotta know that there was _nothing_ you could do."

Callie shook her head, "But HM . . ."

Nancy put her hands on Callie's shoulders, "HM is gonna be alright."

Callie looked at her piercingly, "No thanks to me."

"Just stop it, Callie," Nancy said sternly, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and stop feeling sorry for things you had no control over."

Jack tugged on Callie's arm, "Cal, what are we gonna do now?" his face was tear streaked, and he looked frightened.

Nancy put a hand on Jack's head, "Honey, don't worry about that right now."

Callie looked at Nancy, "I want to see her," she said flatly.

Nancy glanced at Sherry uncertainly before responding, "Cal, I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

Callie crossed her arms stubbornly, "I want to see her, now."

Nancy stood up and looked at Dr. Rosewood questioningly, "If it's what you want . . ." he said quietly.

Nancy put a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Jack, why don't you stay here with Maggie . . ."

"I wanna go with Cal," Jack said.

"No," Callie said severely, "You wait here with Maggie – I won't be gone long."

Jack looked up at his sister, "OK, but you'll come right back?"

Callie seemed to realize that Jack was scared, and smiled at him gently, "It's OK, Jackie, I'll be right back. Promise."

Dr. Rosewood led them down the hall and into a viewing room, "I'll be right back if you'll just wait here."

He disappeared for a few minutes, returning with an orderly who was wheeling a gurney. The gurney was stopped in the room, and Dr. Rosewood stepped forward, "Are you ready?" he looked at Callie questioningly.

Callie nodded, and Dr. Rosewood lifted the sheet, exposing Juanita's body. Callie reached out and touched her Mother's hand, and grimaced, "She's so cold."

She walked up and touched her face, which was also cold. She stood there uncertainly, not sure what she was really looking for.

Nancy looked at her, "You know, Cal, your Mom . . . your Mom's not here."

"She's right here," Callie said, looking at Nancy in confusion.

Nancy looked down at Juanita Temple's dead body, and sighed, "No, that's not your mother," she said certainly. She took Callie's hand, and forced her to turn and look at her, "You mother has gone to a better place, Cal. A place where people like Cuttey can't hurt her anymore."

Callie looked up at Nancy in understanding, "_We'll be on enchanted sky machines . . ._," she half sang, half spoke.

Nancy nodded and put an arm around her, "_The gentle are going home_."

Healing

After saying goodbye to Murdock for the afternoon, they headed home. Hannibal and Maggie had stayed and helped Nancy with Callie and Jack, who were each dealing with their grief over the loss of their Mother in different ways. That evening, they stayed with the kids while Nancy went in to see Murdock.

When she walked into his room, he was sleeping, the only sound the vacuum pump. She walked silently up to his bed, touching his hand lightly, and sending up a silent thanks that it was warm to the touch. Seeing Juanita that afternoon had affected her badly.

When she looked up at his face, his eyes were open and he was regarding her quietly. She smiled at him, "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Well, I certainly hope you didn't plan to let me sleep through your visit," he said quietly, "Where are the kids?" he asked curiously, noticing that Nancy was alone.

"Hannibal and Maggie have them at home," she said, "They aren't dealing too well with their Mom's death, and I thought it might be easier for them to skip the hospital this evening."

Murdock nodded in understanding, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fi . . .," she stopped, "Oh, hell, I feel like shit," she finally said, honestly.

"You look mighty fine, though," Murdock said with a grin.

Nancy smiled at him, reaching a hand up and touching his cheek. His eye looked much better today. The swelling had gone down, and though it was still a nasty shade of purple, at least both eyes opened wide, now.

He was regarding her through those big brown eyes, now, "The kids will be fine, Nan," he said soothingly, "They just need a little time to come to grips with it."

"HM, do you think . . .," she stopped, "I mean, do you want to . . . offer the kids a permanent home?"

Murdock took a deep breath, "If we decide to do this, it means staying right where we are."

"I know you're worried about what might happen, but . . .," Nancy hesitated, having trouble putting into words what she felt.

Murdock covered her hand with his, "But, Callie and Jack are here and now, and they need us," he said, "and, we can't let fear of what might happen, sometime in the future, dictate how we live our lives now. Nan, I'm sorry I even suggested that we should."

"You were just planning for our future," Nancy said, "But I think Callie and Jack need to be a part of that future – a part of our family."

Murdock chuckled, "And you were the one who was afraid of having _two_ kids!"

Post Script – Callie's Song

"We hope you've all enjoyed the show tonight," Nancy said, "The kids worked really hard and I think they've done a great job – how about a hand for them," she clapped along with the audience.

"We've got one more song for you," she added, as the applause died down, "But before we begin, I'd just like to give you a little background on it. It's by Bruce Hornsby and I understand he wrote it for his children, so I thought it was an appropriate song to end the evening with. Some of you may know, my husband and I recently added to our family in a big way," there was a smattering of applause, "In addition to our twins, Andrea and Bethany, who were born three months ago, we adopted two terrific kids, Callie and Jack."

Nancy caught Callie's eye, back where she sat holding Andy, with Jack on one side and Murdock, holding Beth, on the other. She smiled at Callie warmly, "Callie asked me once what her song was, and . . . well, Cal, I think I finally found it."

_When the night lies so still  
Before I go to sleep  
I come by, I come by  
Oh, just to look at you  
In the dim light I say  
That in my own small way  
I will try, I will try  
To help you through_

There'll be blue skies falling  
There'll be sad scenes and bad dreams  
In a world so uncertain  
Through the clouds it's hard to see  
I will grab you and lift you  
As you hold on tight and sway  
We'll go walking  
Across the fields of gray

There's a place I can go  
When the world gets me down  
When nothing, oh nothing  
Goes quite right it seems  
As I look there I know  
Fortune smiles on me so  
But who knows, no one knows  
About tomorrow

There'll be blue skies falling  
There'll be sad scenes and bad dreams  
In a world so uncertain  
Through the clouds it's hard to see  
I will grab you and lift you  
As you hold on tight and sway  
We'll go walking  
Across the fields of gray

When I was younger I saw things in black and white  
Now all I see is a sad, hazy gray  
Sometimes I see a narrow flash of light  
Sometimes I look and you show me the way

No matter what else happens  
Or what the future will be  
In a world so uncertain  
Through the clouds

_it's hard to see  
I will grab you and carry you  
Calm your fears if you're afraid  
We'll go walking  
Across the fields of gray_


End file.
